


Raven Bird

by RonnieAndrews2020



Category: Archie Comics, Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Archie Andrews Needs a Hug, Archie Andrews-centric, Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge-Centric, Baby Andrews/Lodge, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Gen, Hiram Lodge Being an Asshole, How Do I Tag, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Love, Love Story, M/M, Multi, POV Archie Andrews, POV Veronica Lodge, Parents Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Post-Break Up, Post-Canon, Riverdale 5 years later, Secret Children, Slow Burn, Teen Pregnancy, Varchie relationship, Veronica Lodge Needs a Hug, Veronica Lodge pregnant, Veronica Lodge-centric, build up tension, varchie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:21:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 69,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23740738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RonnieAndrews2020/pseuds/RonnieAndrews2020
Summary: It’s been almost five years. Almost five years during which Archie has been trying to move on, to recover, to forget, to understand how and why the only woman he has ever loved disappeared.All of the sudden, here she was, standing on his porch, beautiful as ever, turning his life upside down with just a sentence: " I brought you your daughter Archie Andrews" .Why did she go? Why did she come back? – it’s the mystery of Riverdale’s Raven bird.
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz, Choni - Relationship, Minor Archie Andrews/Betty Cooper - Relationship, Referenced Veronica Lodge/Nick St Clair, Varchie - Relationship, bughead, minor Barchie
Comments: 125
Kudos: 86





	1. Pilot: Riverdale's Mystery

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everybody!  
> I am very excited to present you my first fanfiction with my favorite Riverdale couple: Archie Andrews and Veronica Lodge. 
> 
> Disclaimer: The beginning of the story is inspired by a Turkish tv show called "Sefirin kizi" (the Ambassador's daughter), you can check it out on Youtube.  
> Although the inspiration came from it, my fanfiction definitely won't follow the story of the show and my sweet Archiekins won't be as a **** as the leading male character. 
> 
> This is my first chapter so I didn't figure out yet how everything will go. 
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy it! Leave kudos and comments that encourage me to write more and I'd love to have your opinions. 
> 
> I'll definitely try to post once to twice a week. 
> 
> I am not a native English speaker so I have probably made huge mistakes, feel free to correct me in the comment section. 
> 
> Toodles! ;)

September the 4th, 2020

“Ladies and gentlemen welcome a board to airline’s flight 1241 towards Rockland County Airport from JFK National Airport. You can now remove your seatbelts and switch on your electronic devices, dinner will be served half way through the flight” 

Veronica sighs in relief.

"Finally"

Since the plane took off she was impatient to turn on her phone to see if she got any calls or text messages.

  
“No service” . Of course, they won’t be service thirty thousand feet from the ground.  
She tried to reassure herself repeating in her head: “He can’t be home yet, He can’t be home yet, He can’t be home yet…”

Hiram Lodge couldn’t be home at 6:23 pm. He gets home around 9 pm after a whole day behind the secretive doors of his study at Lodge Industries Tower, having the longest calls, meeting with his pairs ; mobsters and criminals ; and obviously planning how he could possibly wreck her life even more.

She had one more hour flight and 30 minutes to pass the national controls. Gladly, she had no luggage to wait for, only a suitcase and a bag in the cabin above her head, and then an hour drive to Riverdale.  
They should make it before he gets home.

Veronica leaned her head against the window, seeking reassurance in the contemplation of the landscape above them. She could see the distant buildings getting smaller, the lights fade and the dizziness of the big Apple blend behind the clouds.  
Veronica exhaled in relief. Every inch of her skin was breathing in contentment as New York was disappearing in the darkness of a purple sunset.

There was a time where she would never want to leave this city. She was born a 17th November 1998 in the New York Presbyterian Hospital. She attended the elitist, prestigious, all girls’ private Spence School in the heart of the Upper East Side until summer 2013. She was a pure Manhattan product, fortune and condescension included. She never thought she would or want to leave this city, until she had to.

Seven years ago, last week end of summer holidays, she took this same flight landing in Rockland County Airport, an hour drive from Riverdale.  
Veronica remembered that at the minute she was in the plane, she already missed early joggings in Central Park with her dad, shopping in Wall Street, breakfast at Park Avenue with her mother, theater nights in Broadway and the ritual lunch on the Metropolitan Museum stairs with her best friend Katy Keene.  
A limo ride later from the little regional airport, she was in the small town of Riverdale ready to live what would be the best years of her life.

She arrived as a Manhattan sophisticated spoiled brat whose family just fell in disgrace after her father’s scandalous arrest for fraud and corruption.  
A moment, she had the world on her feet and next moment, everything: fortune, entitlement, luxurious lifestyle was taken from them.  
Well, except for her luxurious wardrobe and pearls.  
Medias stormed at them within a second, describing her as a spoiled, icy bitch and her mother, a clueless socialite.  
As a result, her mother, Hermione Lodge decided to “retire” in her native town of Riverdale.

Veronica remembered to be so sad and angry at her mother for not fighting even though she knew her father was the one who made the decision for them. He always did. Always will. Except for this time, noted Veronica.

Back then, she couldn’t admit that her father’s shady scheming brought them to this situation. It was never her father’s fault. It was everybody’s fault but Hiram Lodge's. Veronica grew up idolizing the man, wanting to be like him, longing for his validation, needing to be as close as possible to him.  
That involved unconditional loyalty and obedience.  
So, even if she wasn’t totally pleased with the decision to move in the monotonous small town of Riverdale, she did. After all, her father thinks it’s for the best and he was always right.

“I am Breakfast at Tiffany’s and this place is strictly in Cold Blood”, she recalled proudly claiming, referring to Truman Capote’s works.

She expected people to know about her father, assume he was the devil incarnate and automatically reject her. Even if she had to be the Blue Jasmine of Riverdale High, Veronica would always stand by her father’s. She was ready to help him go clean in a legitimate business and promised herself to be a better person.

Surprisingly, Riverdale had nothing of a boring village. It had its own bundle of drama and crimes, beginning with Jason Blossom’s.  
Even more surprising, people didn’t hate her. Of course, some people had their assumptions about her, targeting her as the spoiled shallow toxic rich bitch, which in her opinion wasn’t completely wrong. But in the other side, she met people who gave her a chance to prove them wrong, people who would be her best friends .

Not a month into Riverdale, she was a part of the River Vixens, her initial frennemy Cheryl Blossom’s cheerleading squad. She was a singer of the band Josie and the Pussycats. She was quickly integrated within her classmates.

Veronica smiled remembering Kevin Keller stating that “He couldn’t recall how life was before she got in Riverdale” fifteen days after she got there.

Veronica was a mythic member of the informal core four.

In Riverdale, Veronica had found her balance.

She found a place where she felt like she belonged along with her best friend Betty, Kevin, Cheryl, Toni, Josie, and even Jughead.

But beyond everybody else, Riverdale felt like home because of Archie Andrews.

“Archie Andrews” 

His broad shoulders,  cute as a button ears  , red messy hair, strong jaw line, boyish grin, hazel nut sparkly eyes...

Veronica felt her heart tighten in her chest and her breath unsteady.

“Your little sister, isn’t she? She’s very cute. “

Veronica turned to her right, a bit relieved to be extricated from her thoughts. Her seat neighbor was offering her a big smile. He was tall, about her age, dark haired man and certainly had Asian origin.

“Thank you, this is my daughter “she answered after a moment of realization.

She looked down at her little girl, peacefully sleeping in the seat between them, her red haired head laid on her lap.  
She was used to get this question whenever they would go out. Thanks to her makeup, clothing style and her natural elegance, Veronica always looked older than she actually was but that wasn’t enough to cover up the significant age gap with her little angel.

“Oh, really? Impossible. I don’t believe you!” The man was still staring at her with his dark brown eyes widened, truly surprised.  
“I was a teen mom. We grew up together” she tried to explain, a bit uncomfortable at the intense gaze he was giving her.  
“Nice. Very brave of you “ She nodded politely, not knowing nor willing what to answer.  
“Red Dad didn’t?” Taken back at the question, Veronica arched her eyebrows in incomprehension.  
“Did he not grew up with you too?” clarified the man. She raised an eyebrow in suspicion. Who was that total stranger asking her such personal question? Was he sent to follow her or was he overly curious?  
The man was still looking at her with his confident, relaxed, cool-guy grin.  
Her heart beat becomes faster and a wave of anxiety threatens to invade her.

Veronica must have made a face because the curious stranger quickly explained in an embarrassed chuckle:  
“Don’t get me wrong. I figured out you’re travelling alone and as we’re seating side by side, I thought we could get to know each other’s”.

Veronica raised her eyebrows even more, an unpleasant thought running across her head. She knows this gaze. Was he flirting?  
“How did you assume her father is a red head in the first place?” she fired back a little ruder than necessary.

The man still a little bit embarrassed, smiled before answering.  
“She got your exact features”.  
His glance travelled to her daughter’s angelical face and he continued with a wide smile:  
“But the hair color is radically different. The red hair gene is recessive; it rarely jumps out a generation so if the kid has red hair, one of the parents must have them too”  
He points out one of her long raven black hair: “which you clearly don’t”.

“I am glad we have a geneticist a board” she sharply commented with a smirk.

" I am used to be around red heads" He laughed as if her comment was made to be funny.

“ I am sorry if I made it awkward. I didn’t mean to freak you out or to sound invasive. Actually, I hate airplane flights and it makes me so nervous that I feel the need to chatter to distract myself. I obviously stuff up. You’re the victim. Sorry “

He was now offering her an apologetic smile. He looked sincere and Veronica regretted her rudeness.

She really needed to stop being so bitter, defensive and paranoid every time a stranger would talk to her. But it was a second nature for her, a reflex that would jump out at the first occasion. You don’t go through what she went through and remain unaltered.  
She suddenly envied the stranger’s natural friendliness.

“We split up growing up” She said, referring to the initial question he asked.  
She offered a small grin.  
“Oh.” He nodded in understanding before handing his hand.  
“By the way, I am Reggie Mantle” He introduced himself with the same big smile he seemed to master, a smile that reached his ears and made his slanted eyes smaller.

“Monica Posh.”

She answered without a hesitation and shaking the hand he was offering.

“So, I am letting you ask me a question to rectify my indelicate curiosity. You may ask what you want!” he theatrically offered.

Veronica wasn’t sure she wanted to keep up with this conversation but once again she felt like he didn’t leave her the choice.

“Why take a plane for a New York- Rockland trip if flights make you nervous?”

He chuckled.  
“Right, huh. Very smart. One of my best childhood friends is hosting an engagement party tonight at his house and I had a very important deal to wrap up this afternoon. There was no way I’d make it to Riverdale if I took the road”

Veronica’s heart skipped a beat.

“Riverdale?” she repeated surprised. He must have noticed her stupefaction because he asked her right away:

“Oh. Are you going to Riverdale too?”  
“No. We’re not. I was just curious” managed to mumble Veronica. She needed to be very careful not to let any information slide about her or her daughter to a complete stranger.  
Reggie seemed to have bought her lie because he kept up:  
“You’ve never heard of Riverdale? I am surprised. It’s an hour from Rockland Airport. In appearance, it’s the perfect American little town but in reality, it’s completely wicked. It’s often makes the news for its lot of murders, crimes and mysteries”

Veronica unlocked eyes from the man and tugged herself nervously inside the seat.  Tell for whom the bell tolls, she thought . She knew it all about Riverdale's mysteries. She helped resolve some of them like Jason’s murder or the Black Hood and her own father has certainly helped score a couple of crimes in the long list of Riverdale’s sins.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to be around when the latest events happenned so I can’t give you the front row impressions. I came back in town from my high school boarding school a couple weeks after the  Raven Girl mystery” .

Veronica turned back her head quickly at the man who was still looking at her, watching out her reaction.

“Who’s the Raven Girl?” asked Veronica, unable to hold the strange intuition that pushes her to show interest.

“  Veronica, Veronica Lodge  ”. Veronica’s heart seemed to have stopped in her chest when she heard the stranger pronounce her name. Of course that will be her! Jughead enjoyed calling her the Raven haired princess or the Enchantress. Thank god, she was right not to give her real name and trust him. She tried her best to keep a blank expression on her face as Reggie pursued:

“Veronica Lodge also known as the Raven Bird is Riverdale’s last and unresolved mystery. She was the daughter of the town’s villain, Hiram Lodge. She lived a sort of modern day Romeo and Juliet romance with Riverdale’s teen hero, perfect boy-next-door: Archie Andrews. Veronica’s father was firmly against their relationship because of some dark unknown family history. But their love was stronger than Hiram Lodge's schemes and they decided to escape town on their prom night but Veronica never showed up.  
The same night, her house was mysteriously burnt to the ground with only ashes left. Next day, Hiram Lodge was seen leaving Riverdale alone. He went back to New York where his wife is mayor and nobody heard them speak about their daughter ever again.  
Some say Veronica burnt in the fire and became ashes. Others say she was seen that night throwing herself from the Bridge over Sweetwater River and became a Raven bird”.

“It sounds more like a fantasy than a mystery” commented skeptically Veronica after a moment. Her nails were furiously digging in her thighs to control the shivers.

Reggie pouted his lips in a fake thinking expression:

“You might be right. It depends on how you see things. Rationalists think she must have died in the fire and romantics say that unable to escape her father and rejoin her love, she turned out to a raven bird and flew over Sweetwater River.  
What about you? Are you a realist or a romantic?”

“I don’t know” answered Veronica, uncomfortable, wanting to cut short the discussion but Reggie insisted.

“Come on. You must have your theory! “He insisted with his undefeated smile.

Veronica looked up to support the gaze. After a moment, she finally answered:

“Maybe, neither . Maybe she really jumped out the bridge but instead of becoming a raven bird, she crashed on the rocks of the River and drowned.”

Reggie’s smile disappeared and he leaned back at the unexpected response. After a moment of puzzling, he stated:

“I asked you if you were a romantic or a realist but...you are..you are.. a  drama queen ... You could have picked the already horrible version of fire but you choose to completely destroy the eventuality of the tale”

Veronica didn’t know what to answer and Reggie was certainly still thinking at her response. So, they stayed silent for a minute before Reggie asked, changing the topic:

“What about you raven haired Monica? What brings you to Rockland city? You’re having a girls getaway? ”

A  get away . He couldn’t be more right.

“That’s exactly the idea. We’re escaping town and never getting back” she said playfully with a small grin on her face.

“Ah! New York’s madness! I feel you… Sometimes, I am wondering why I just don’t leave for good”  
He sighs  
“But once again, even small towns like Riverdale proved to be more problematic”

He chuckles and finally looks away. Veronica engulfs herself even more in the seat, trying to find a comfortable position.  
Truer words couldn’t have been spoken.  
Leaving for good was also a part of the plan. Leave for good and never get back to NYC, this damned city of evil and fear to protect her innocent little daughter.

This step required to slam the dragons she left in Riverdale.

Her heart beat raised and a new wave of anxiety threatened to hit her. Her palms were sweaty, her breath irregular again. “Calm down Veronica. Act cool. You don’t need to draw attention”.

She concentrates on inhaling and expiring every ten seconds, eyes closed.  
Slowly, she was getting there, the nods on her back relaxing.

Next second, she found herself spilling out the question that has been burning her tongue since he told her about the Raven girl Mystery:

“What about ....the boy... the boy from the Mystery? What happened to him? What does he think?”. She couldn't bring herself to say his name out loud. She was afraid to gave away herself at the way her voice would crack up when she'll pronunce his name.

Reggie turned back to her and said:

“Oh, well. He doesn’t speak about it but I don’t think he believes either versions. And nobody would dare ask a man about the reasons of his silence”

Veronica nods: “It makes sense”.

“You speak about him like you know him” she notes.

Reggie regains his big smile:

“Well, he was one of my best pals before I left for boarding school in high school." He paused. "And he is actually the one hosting the engagement party I must be at. I hope to get there before 9 or Betty, the future bride, is going to kill me“


	2. I brought you your daughter, Archie Andrews

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Veronica is back in Riverdale after a five years disapearance with a little surprise. Is Archie Andrews ready ?  
> Ps: If you'd like to picture in your head what Archie and Veronica's daughter look like, just search the child actress Maggie Elizabeth Jones. I frequently saw manip and edits using her to portray Varchie's child and I thought she was the cutest. 
> 
> Have a great reading.

“Well, He is actually hosting the engagement party I must be at. I hope to get there before 9 or Betty, the future bride, is going to kill me“

And just like that, Veronica is taken back to almost four years ago.

**FLASH BACK - October 31th, 2016- American Hospital of Paris- Neuilly-sur-Seine – France**

Veronica is exhausted and scared. It’s been almost four days without a full night sleep.  
Three days ago, she felt horrible cramps and she had a massive bleeding in the middle of the night. Doctors informed her that they had to induce the baby otherwise they could both die.  
She spent almost 24 hours in pain, crying, panting and screaming, having very bad contractions. Prior to the unexpected cramps, doctors have decided to do a C-section to avoid exhausting the baby but now, it was too late. The baby was way too engaged to try a surgery. Veronica pushed effortlessly during two hours before finally meeting her child for the briefest moment.

Her daughter was born on the 29th of October, two months and a half before the expected date of birth.

They immediately took her to the neonatal Intensive care unit before she could feel her in her arms, before she could take in her heavenly scent, draw with her fingers the features of her face and memorize them perfectly.

It’s been almost two days since she gave birth, exhaustion and pain didn’t matter as much as the anxiety of knowing her baby was in danger.

This little, tiny, beautiful human being was her everything. She was the reason why she was still holding on to life. Everything else was meaningless at this point.  
Veronica’s only wish was to know if her baby was healthy and if she could hold her.

The waiting was only getting her more frustrated and nervous.  
Why couldn’t she see her baby? Why anybody was giving her any information about her health? Could she breathe on her own? Could she feed her? Is she properly monitored? What if she needs her?

Veronica was fixing the white ceiling. She never felt so powerless, so helpless and so alone.  
She had nobody by her side. She had nobody that could go ask information about her child when she was stuck in that hospital bed, unable to move or stand up. She didn’t have any family or friends anymore. She didn’t have  Archie .

Archie wasn’t here to hug her and tell her everything will be okay.  
Archie wasn’t here to reassure her, to brush her hair and tell her that their baby girl was going to be safe. That she didn’t have to be scared. That he’d always be here for them.  
Archie wasn’t here. He didn’t even know where she was.  
He didn’t even know their daughter was born.  
Screw it. He didn’t even know they had a child of their own.

What was he doing right now? Does he somehow sense how desperately she needs him? Will he ever know about their daughter? Would he get to know her?  
Would their baby make it alive to even consider this eventuality?

A shiver danced down Veronica’s spine, tormented by the thought of losing her child.

Then, she heard a knocking and her attention got reported towards the door.

“Mademoiselle Lodge, vous avez de la visite.” (Miss Lodge, you have a visitor) announces the nurse before leaving the room.

An elegant man dressed with a black suit is standing by the doorway with a bouquet of burgundy dahlias, smirking.  Hiram Lodge . Her father.

“Congratulations, Mija. I took the first plane as soon as I heard”.  
“What are you doing here? I didn’t ask you to come!” angrily spills Veronica.  
“You’re welcome, Mija. I don’t need an invitation to visit my daughter and my new born grandchild” responds Hiram Lodge calmly.

Veronica feels anger boiling out in her veins:  
“Don’t call her your grandchild. She has nothing to do with you. I am nothing to you. Where is Mommy? She’s the one I called.”  
“Your mother couldn’t make it. She had an important meeting in Brazil to promote Lodge Industries in the continent.  
However, I figured out you needed some family support in this difficult time and I came instead. Aren’t you grateful, Mija?” answered Hiram Lodge in a fake credulous expression.

Veronica knew he was lying. Hermione didn’t have any important business in Brazil for Lodge Industries. He simply didn’t allow her to make the travel. The punishment wasn’t over yet.

Veronica sighed, exasperated, before commanding in a low threatening tone:  
“I don’t want to see you. Ever. I don’t want you anywhere close to us. Stay away from me and MY daughter.”  
“Watch out, Mija. You’re a seventeen years old mom with some serious psychological trouble… you don’t know what could happen… Social service could declare you unfit to be mother. I am here to make sure everything is doing great” he answers her with a devilish smile, unbothered.

Veronica’s blood doesn’t reach her brain. He was threatening her. She yells at the top of her lungs:

“I promise you Hiram Lodge, if you ever try to take my daughter from me like you took Archie, I will kill you with my bare hands! I swear to god!”

Hiram gets close to her, leans at the level of her bed and says in a low tone voice:  
“I didn’t take Archie from you. You choose a boy over family, Mija. And he left you. Alone. And pregnant. ”  
“That’s not true!” fires back Veronica “He loved me. He didn’t know I was pregnant. You made me leave him. You made me hurt him. You ruined us. It’s your fault!”

“Oh, really? How do you explain that?” Hiram was holding his phone in front of her face, watching her expression shift from bewilderment to surprise.

First picture is Betty leaving the Andrews house. It’s seems that the photo was taken early in the morning. Betty is down the porch, wearing her baby blue dressing gown, waving at the man standing by the red door: Archie Andrews.  
He’s in his sleeping grey tracksuit, shirtless, waving back at the blonde girl.

But there are more pictures. Hiram scrolls through the gallery: Betty in her robe leaving the Andrews house in the middle of the night, Betty visiting Archie in Andrews Construction with a bouquet of white hortensias, Archie sharing a strawberry milkshake with Betty in a booth at Pop’s, Betty and Archie hugging in his porch in the darkness of the night etc.

Veronica feels nauseous as Hiram keeps scrolling through the pictures.

There are dozens of pictures of the duo at Pops, Andrews Construction, on the banks of Sweetwater River, at the El Royale fight club, in front of the Andrews garage repairing a car etc.

“As you can see, I had someone follow Archie Andrews and he doesn’t seem very bothered by your sudden disappearance. He quickly found comfort in the arms of your best friend, Elizabeth Cooper.  
They were always meant to be, isn’t it?”  
He paused before stating: “Too sad they had to wait until you left to realize it”.

Veronica felt tears burning her eyes, menacing to run through her cheeks at any seconds. She couldn’t keep her eyes off the screen until her father put the phone back in his pocket.

She doesn’t want to look up because she knows there is a smirk of satisfaction printed on her father’s face that she doesn’t want to see. She doesn’t want him to see the tears in her eyes.

“How do you call it again?” He fake-asks, before blowing:

**“Endgame”**

And just like that, she couldn’t hold it anymore and tears started to hurtle down her cheeks.

 **END OF THE FLASHBACK** \---

Flights make you nervous too “noted Reggie handing back the meal tray that the hostess was distributing. His gaze fixed on her shaking hands.

Veronica was feeling her whole body numb, her heart distraught in her chest and eyes prickling from the unpleasant memory.

Maybe she made the wrong decision. Maybe she was doing a huge mistake coming back to Riverdale. What if he refuses to listen to her? What if he slams the door at their faces? What if he rejects their daughter?  
No, that’s not possible. Archie is not the kind of man that abnegates his child.  
Archie is Fred Andrew’s son after all. He would open his arms, his home and his heart to anybody in need, let alone his own daughter.  
But, timing couldn’t work worst. He was getting engaged tonight. With  Betty  . Her ex-best friend.

Veronica felt the tenacious wave of apprehension trying to drown her again.

“Monica? You are not eating?” Reggie was still holding the meal tray, waiting for her to take it.

“Oh. Excuse me. I zoned out”  
She held the meal tray and folded the rectangular surface in the back of the seat, carefully avoiding bumping the little girl’s head resting on her lap.

“Here is the second one, Ma’am” said the hostess behind Reggie, handing her another meal tray for her daughter.

“I won’t take it, thank you. She’ll eat from mine” answered Veronica.  
“Well, I can take it. I love pasta!” joked Reggie. She forced herself to smile back at him, quickly looking away.

There was something about the intensity of his gaze that made her uncomfortable. It was like he was trying to read her, to learn her features, to translate her facial expressions.

He started eating silently, completely unaware of the tsunami he caused in Veronica’s mind. She was back thinking about the bomb he dropped a couple seconds ago.

What is she going to do now? It’s too late to go back at New York and even if it wasn’t, what could she do there? It was her father’s town, his own playground. He would find them within a minute and get her locked down before taking her daughter away from her. She didn’t even want to think about how he could possibly raise her.  
He wasn’t already very lenient with her growing up, how manipulative, controlling and cruel will he be with Archie Andrews’s daughter.

This dreadful thought sent shivers down her spine. No. She won’t lose her to him.  
There is no way her child with experience half of the things she did.  
Her little girl deserves to grow up in a safe, healthy place with a family and friend who loved her and cared for her. She couldn’t be the collateral damage..

After a moment, Veronica felt moving on her lap and it made her and Reggie look at the seat between them. The little girl was whimpering in her sleep, agitated.

She’s doing a nightmare. Veronica’s protective instinct jumped out and she quickly held the little girl against her chest, caressing her red curls.

“That’s okay, baby. Mommy is here. Open your eyes” she kept repeating, blowing soft kisses on the child’s forehead and eyelids.

The little girl finally opened her big eyes filled with tears, looking at her mother. She sobbed, mumbling:

“Mommy, I saw him. Le Méchant monsieur était là (The bad guy was here). The shady man. Il a un couteau (He was holding a knife). He’s going to hurt you. I am scared… “

Reggie’s eyebrows furrowed as he was trying to understand what the little girl was saying through the glimpse of what seemed to be French.

Veronica ignored his questioning look and kept rocking the little girl in her arms, whispering in her ears: “Nobody is going to hurt me. Nobody is going to hurt us. We are safe now. It’s just a nightmare baby.”

After a moment, the little girl seemed to calm down and Veronica asked her with a smile:  
“You’re hungry baby? There is Mac and cheese, your favorite”.

The little girl nodded and beamed back at her mother.

Reggie was still looking curiously at them from the corner of his eyes but Veronica ignored him, installing the little girl on her seat and unwrapping the meal.

The child took her fork and started eating.

Veronica slipped one of the little’s girl long locks between her fingers and start wrapping it around her fingers, a tender smile on her face.  
Her daughter was worth going through everything, even affronting Archie and his new fiancée, Betty.

\--------------

Everything is simple and perfect, just like Betty.  
The small garden of the Andrews house was looking drastically different, turning out from a boring green square to a miniature version of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.  
“Maybe it was the purpose”, thought Archie.  
The huge trees were linked by light star shaped garlands among suspended white roses, pink freesias and some of unknown creeping plants. The grass was recovered of orange petals and they had disposed two long light brown wooden tables in the middle of the garden just underneath the hanging floral arrangement. The tables were recovered with a white tablecloth where candles and bouquets were displayed.  
It looked like a small enchanted garden.  
The perfect decor to host an engagement ceremony.

Betty has been planning for this party for the past week while finishing her summer internship for the FBI and taking night shifts at Pop’s. But she still managed to organize everything. What else could you expect from Betty?  
And here she was going from a guest to another, exchanging small conversation and huge smiles. She looked beautiful in her long powder blue silk dress, her hair untied from her classic ponytail to small waves resting on her shoulders.  
She looked happy and that’s was everything that mattered. Jughead looked happy too even if he was voluntarily distancing himself from Betty and her audience. The beanie headed man was smiling, looking at the blonde women in an animated conversation with Kevin Keller and Josie McCoy.

Archie was staring at this view. Everybody looked happy, enjoying the party.  
Almost all their families and the friends they’ve known for almost their whole lives were here, sitting or standing around the tables: Kevin, Josie and their parents: Tom and Sierra Keller, the former Pussycats: Valerie and Melody, Betty and Jughead’s half- brother: Charles, Jughead’s sister: Jellybean, FP Jones, Sweet Pea, Fangs, Ethel, Ginger, Tina, Moose and Chuck who just arrived.  
In the back of the little squared garden, Toni was running after the six year old Blossom twins: Juniper and Dagwood.  
Cheryl wasn’t here. She informed Betty earlier in the afternoon that she had an emergency. Apparently, one of her friends needed her so badly that she couldn’t make it to her cousin’s engagement party.

“Archie can you add a chair, please?” asked Betty who just came by his side. “Reggie texted Josie saying his plane landed 10 minutes ago. He should be here before dessert”.

“Of course” responded Archie with a smile before bringing a chair from the garage and installing it on the table.  
Everybody took place at the table, Archie included and they begin to speak and chatter. The red headed man remained silent, observing the little crowd like he was backstage at a theater representation.  
He didn’t feel included. It wasn’t about that strange feeling of not belonging.  
Sure, his friends and family loved him and cared deeply about him but this past years he felt like he couldn’t catch up to the people around him.

It was like he was expected to feel things he couldn’t feel anymore.

  
His friends would get excited at the most simple things like a happy hour on Saturday night at Pop’s, a sunny weather for next week end, the reprogramming of the Harry Potter saga at the bijou for Halloween, a town sponsored firework for New Year or even the meteor shower announced by the weather forecaster.  
None of this seemed to matter.  Not anymore .

" Hey Archie, what's your guess? " asked Kevin.

"What about?" Archie wasn't really paying attention to the conversation going on.

" Josie was telling Betty that she'll be the first mom out of the group. Betty is pretending like she's too young and not interested. I give her a year after the wedding to start babbling about babies. Val and Melody say 6 months. What about you?"

Archie sighed, running his hand in his hair.

" I don't know, Kev'. We 're all 22 or 23. Isn't it too early for a kid?" he responded frankly.  
Kevin smirked playfully.

" You're never too young when you're deeply in love".

Maybe Kevin was right. Love, a kid, a family.

No way  . That feels so far...

Lost in his thoughts, Archie’s eyes traveled the table analyzing the details of the decoration and his eyes stopped at the bouquets displayed on the table.  
An arrangement of white roses, light pink hortensias and some other pastel flowers Archie didn’t know. But in every bouquet was inserted a single one Lilac Times Dahlia.

Archie’s breath cut short for half a second.

Of course Betty wouldn’t forget. She always had a symbolic gesture.  
It was  her  favorite flower.  Veronica  . Even pronouncing her name in his mind was getting him dizzy.

What if she was here? What if all of a sudden, she appeared in the door steps of the garden? If he closed his eyes, he could still remember every single thing about her: Her olive skin, her playful smirk and her deep chocolate brown eyes….  
Archie finally authorized himself to inhale.

I thought that at some point it would hurt less

I thought I’ve figured out how to think about her without ripping my heart out.  
\-----

The plane landed in Rockland city Airport at 7:30.  
The rest of the flight had been quite. Veronica was focusing her whole attention in taking care of her daughter and trying to reassure her to get her back to sleep. She spotted Reggie throwing her fleeting glimpse, a mix of curiosity and concern in his eyes, every time the little girl was frighteningly mumbling about a shady man that wanted to hurt them. But he stayed silent as Veronica’s cold glance discouraged him to ask any further questions. After all, children were common to flourishing imagination.

When they could finally leave the plane, he proposed to help Veronica carry her luggage as she was holding her now sleeping daughter but she firmly refused.  
There was nothing much left to say or do. He was expected in Riverdale and the beautiful stranger was having some days off in the city.  
But it’s reluctantly that he unlocked eyes from here before running out the plane to quickly pass the borders and take a taxi to Riverdale.

Veronica had some technical difficulty at the borders due to her daughter’s French passport. The border officers didn’t understand why the child was travelling with a French passport while her mother had an American passport. Why didn’t the child have an American passport? Was it a parental kidnapping? Was Veronica even the mother?  
Borders officers have been pickier since the whole Coronavirus situation, few months prior.  
After more than forty five minutes of arguing and explaining, Veronica finally got to leave the Airport.

“Veronica!” gasped in relief Cheryl when she saw Veronica approaching, holding with an arm a sleeping little girl wrapped around her waist and pulling a suitcase in the other.

Veronica spotted Cheryl in front of a Red Range. Of course, thought Veronica: Cheryl was still the same: A river of fire-red shinning hair, a doll face, porcelain skin, big hazel nuts eyes, long eyelashes and her signature red lips. She was wearing a red biker jacket, endless legs in a black leather short and high heels squealing the pavement to meet her.

“Oh! Veronica! I am so happy to see you! “She hugged her lightly, being careful not to squeeze the little girl and waking her up.

“Hi, Cheryl.” Veronica replied with a little smile, genuinely happy to see her friend. “It’s so good to see you too… I can’t thank you enough”.  
Cheryl squeezed her arm, giving her a tender gaze:  
“Oh, don’t say that Vee-Vee. Always. Come on, climb in, we’ll talk in the car. Let me help you with the bags”.

Cheryl put the suitcase in the trunk while Veronica was carefully installing her daughter in one of the kids car seat that certainly belonged to Juniper and Dagwood, Cheryl’s twin nephew and niece that she had the custody since their mother went “kuku banana” as Cheryl liked to describe Polly Cooper’s major mental breakdown after the murder of Jason and joining a psychotic cult.

They climbed in the car and Cheryl was driving silently for about 10 minutes when she finally broke the silence:

“What is this all about Veronica? What happened? ” She paused. “What is even happening now? You disappeared almost five years ago. Nobody knew where or why did you go. No calls, no texts, not a letter, not even an e-mail. Some of us even began to think you died in the Pembroke’s fire. Even Polly came up with this crazy hallucination the night she escaped the mental facility center to go “see” Jay-Jay at Sweet Water River". She rolled her eyes and explained:  
"She was spreading this story about watching you turn to a raven bird after throwing yourself in the River.”  
As Veronica wasn’t saying a word, Cheryl kept up:  
“And out of the blue, I receive a call from you this afternoon, crying, asking me to book plane tickets and pick you up from the Airport. And here you are, in front of me with a little girl in your arm.”

“That’s my daughter” explained Veronica.

“I guessed this part from the plane tickets names you gave me. I didn’t think you’d escape whatever hell you were in and kidnap a child who has your name” replied Cheryl.  
“And who looks a lot like you by the way” added Cheryl throwing a glance on the mirror to see the little girl sleeping in Dagwood’s car seat.

Veronica didn’t add a word, looking through the window like she was discovering the landscape for the first time. The night was getting darker and huge clouds were covering the moon.

“I guess that orange didn’t actually become your regular flavor. Besides Jay-Jay or one of my Blossom cousins, I don’t know many Ginger stallions that will make such a cute red head.  Only one actually ”.

Veronica swallowed hard, knowing exactly what, or more precisely, “who” Cheryl was alluding to.

“How old is she? “Asked Cheryl, giving another quick glance in the mirror to check on the little red headed girl.

“She is three, going to her fourth next month” answered Veronica. Cheryl nodded and Veronica knew her friend was doing the math in her head.

Veronica apprehended what next question would be because she didn’t know if she was ready to answer it, instead Cheryl’s face relaxed and she smiled.

“I am four year late but congratulations V. She looks adorable.”  
“Thank you” Veronica exchanged a look with Cheryl and smiled to her with gratitude, glad she let go of the interrogations.

The rest of the drive was silent until they reached the huge sign that announces you’re entering in Riverdale: Riverdale, the town with Pep!

“What’s the plan now?” asked Cheryl. Veronica knew Cheryl was asking her where they should head to.

“Elm Street” answered Veronica. Her heart was pounding hastily in her chest. It was getting closer. She’s going to see him again.

She has tried so bad not to think about it during the taxi ride to the airport. Reggie, the passenger of the plan, helped her occupy her mind during a part of the flight before she had to take care of her daughter. Then she had to fix the problems in the borders but since Cheryl picked her at the airport, she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

She didn’t know what she feared the most, seeing him again after all those years on such a special day or doing what she planned to do after.

How was he going to react?

“I have to tell you something. You might not want to burst in today “begun Cheryl as they were getting closer.

“I know. They are having an engagement party” replied Veronica before Cheryl could add a single word.  
Cheryl eyes widened and she turned towards her:  
“You knew? Is it why you came back? “

Veronica rolled her eyes and sighed.

“Of course not, Cheryl. I wouldn’t wait five years to make a huge come back with my child because they’re getting married. I am not so fond of drama… or even chaos” She said giving her friend a smirk at which Cheryl replied with a wide smile.  
Chaos was Cheryl’s, aka Cheryl  Bombshell ’s, thing.

As the rain was beginning to trail on the windshield, Veronica explained:

“Actually, I met this man in the plane. He’s named Reggie, he was talking about Riverdale and he spilled the beans randomly”.

Cheryl guffawed:  
“Of course, that’s typical of Reggie. He‘s such a smooth talker and you’re a beautiful girl, he wouldn’t let his chance to flirt”.

Veronica glanced at Cheryl with a smile:

“He didn’t flirt. I don’t think he was interested, he just wanted to talk”

Cheryl scoffed.

“Ugh. Yeah. Of course, he wasn’t. I bought that.  A man not interested in Veronica Lodge ”.

\--

“Oh, no! Everybody inside!” screamed Betty as it started to rain. An hour ago, the air smelled like summer, vanilla candles and freesia and now, the rain was unexpectedly pouring, ruining Betty’s cute set up.  
The guests started to run inside the house, holding their glasses and their plates, trying to save the most from the unexpected storm.  
“First inside gets cake first!” challenged Reggie giving Archie a shoulder tackle.  
Reggie arrived 45 minutes ago from his New York business trip.

He has been Archie’s friend since kindergarten. They had the same interest in sports and if he wasn’t listening records with Betty or camping with Jughead, Archie was most likely at Reggie’s house playing videogames or football.  
Unfortunately, after series of failures at exams and a low performance in football during freshman year, Marty Mantle, Reggie’s dad decided to ship him off to boarding school. Fortunately, after spending two years in college, Reggie returned to take the family car dealership business and he quickly rekindled with his old group of friends.

Archie smiled and started to run inside as the giant Asian was already ahead him. They finally got inside panting heavily, wet and laughing.  
“Beat you Andrews” bragged Reggie before crashing in the couch along with everybody else.  
“I am going to bring towels” answered Archie in a breathless chuckle.  
“And I am going to bring the cake!” announced Betty and everybody screamed in approval.

Archie went upstairs to the bathroom and grabbed a couple of towels. He was making his way through the stairs listening to the thunderous voice of Reggie animatedly babbling for the fourth time about a beautiful brunette he met during his plane when he heard knocking on the door.  
He rushed downstairs, wondering who it could possibly be. It was late and they weren’t expecting anyone else. Maybe Alice Cooper, Betty’s mom, finally agreed to come?

He hung the towels on the ramp and opened the door.

For half a second, he didn’t recognize the woman standing in the darkness of his porch. Than time seemed to stop and gravity shifted. It wasn’t any woman. It was  her  .

Archie blinked, not sure if it was real.

Suddenly, he couldn’t breathe anymore. It was definitely her. Golden skin, raven hair waves framing the most beautiful face he has ever known, luscious berry lips and dark, perfectly sculpted, brows.

A vision in the middle of the rainy night.

Maybe he was really hallucinating.

His gaze locked on her doe eyes framed by long and thick black eyelashes.  
He could get lost in the depth of her pupils. Her eyes were like a summer night sky: Dark, deep with a powder of glittering stars.  
His heart was jumping out against his cage rib at an insane speed.

Veronica Cecilia Lodge. 

She looked just as gorgeous as he could remember. Maybe even more.  
She was real and if there was any doubt left, it disappeared as her long lashes fluttered.  
Definitely, more beautiful .  
He could hear his blood pressure beating in his ears.  
For a moment, he just got lost in the contemplation of her face, still mesmerized.

It was like she never left.

Then he noticed the little details: her silky raven hair was longer and her face had lost of his teenage roundness. She looked more mature, more of a woman, more  stunning .

Archie’s eyes quickly travelled her body, taking in as much as possible as if she was going to disappear again, right in front of his eyes.  
She wasn’t wearing a skirt like she always did noted Archie. Instead, she was wearing black jeans, a violet turtle neck sweater, heel boots and a long black coat.

She looks skinnier, almost weaker. He wants to hug her. He always wants to hug her.

His eyes quickly met hers again.

Wind started blowing harder and she moved her hand to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ears without unlocking her eyes from his.

She was definitely real. Any doubt left. She was really here, standing in his porch, in the pouring rain.

Then it hit him.  
How could she be here? What was she doing here? Was she okay? Where had she been all this time? Why did she abandon him?

\-----  
Veronica knocked on the door, giving a last glance to the car where Cheryl was waiting with her daughter still peacefully sleeping.  
She didn’t want to appear in front of him with their daughter.  
Cheryl suggested to wait until the rain stopped but she answered she didn’t have time to lose. She wanted to get done with it as soon as possible.

She hoped he was the one to open the door, not willing to explain herself to anybody else and definitely not to Betty.

The door finally opened and he stood in the frame, still holding on to the doorknob.  
Her heart started beating at an insane speed.

Archie Andrews. 

She forgot how handsome he was. Strong jaw line, furrowed brows, broad shoulders perfectly molded in a tight blue shirt and that tousled flam hair. He looked even more handsome with that faint beard.

They locked eyes and she felt like a little bird was flying in her cage rib, trying to break free.

Those whiskey-golden brown eyes she was so familiar with. Her little girl. No.  THEIR  little girl inherited Archie’s color complexion from her red hair to her eye color, exception made for her olive skin.  
And Veronica loved it this way. For the past four years, every time she met her daughter’s gaze it made her heart full like she was staring in Archie’s eyes. She had a little part of him with her.

But right now, it felt different. It hit differently. She was truly staring at Archie’s eyes.  
Those honey pupils that held a unique warmth. The warmth of coming home.

\----

She was still looking at him, waiting for him to recover from the overloading emotions that were bursting in his mind. She pinched her lips as she was going to say something but she didn’t.

Archie opened his mouth, finally finding the ability to speak, but before he could say a single word he heard a familiar voice behind her.

“She woke up, she made a nightmare. She wants you”

Archie finally unlocked eyes from Veronica to observe that Cheryl was the one who spoke. She was quickly climbing the stairs to protect herself from the rain, carrying a little silhouette in her arm: a child, maybe a toddler?

“A little girl” identified Archie in the darkness of the night.

The little girl had short, wavy, ginger hair loosely tied in messy pig tails. She was wearing a blue jean overall over a bright yellow t-shirt, a bunny stuffed animal closely squeezed in front of her face.  
She removed the stuffed animal from her face and Archie could see her little button nose, pouted lips, golden tanned skin with a light dash of freckles.

She was so cute and something cracked inside of him.

Archie was surprised by his own thought when he furtively met the little girl’s shifty gaze.  
She had big amber eyes that felt oddly familiar…

It was confusing.

First, Veronica and now, Cheryl and this little girl.  
Cheryl bailed on them last minute, telling Betty she couldn’t come tonight because she needed to help a friend.

Was this friend Veronica? Why would Veronica need help? What was Cheryl doing here with a little red headed girl? Was it her Blossom relative? Did she just say the little girl wanted Veronica?!

Veronica wasn’t moving, still looking at him as she didn’t hear Cheryl.

Archie didn’t have the time to ask the questions that the little girl, that seemed to have noticed Veronica’s presence, raised her hands with vivacity, whimpering in protest as she was demanding to be released on her feet. Cheryl immediately freed the child from her embrace.

“Mommy!” she screamed, running to take refuge behind Veronica’s legs, holding them tight, throwing a furtive glance at Archie.

Mommy 

Archie’s eyes widened in a mix of confusion and disbelief. Did he hear right?  
He was looking back and forth from the little girl to Veronica’s face who was still staring at him.

He felt like something busted out in his chest and before he could realize what the little girl’s word implied, Veronica finally broke the silence:

“I brought you your daughter, Archie Andrews “. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is. We finally have a Varchie interraction.  
> I know that it's very short for now but I promise there will definitely be more. 
> 
> Toodles ;) !


	3. Resurgence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> I was supposed to post every week but I got inspired so here is the third chapter. Hopefully, chapter 4 coming just as quick!  
> I hope you'll enjoy it and don't hesitate to leave a comment or a kudo if you liked.  
> I am still very opened to any suggestion, comment, critic, opinion, correction etc. 
> 
> Toodles ;)!

“I brought you your daughter, Archie Andrews “ 

Next second, Archie felt like he was ditched in the middle of a storm, rolled over by a bulldozer, thrown from an airplane without a parachute, sank in the ocean without an oxygen bottle, set on fire in the desert.

“I brought you your daughter, Archie Andrews “ . Her words were still resonating in his mind like the echo of an endless domino effect.

Feeling overwhelmed was an understatement. The only woman he has ever loved appeared in his porch after all these years. And what kind of love are we talking about?

It was the kind of crazy, relentless, unconditionnal, passionated, all-powerful, wistful love. The kind of love you write books and poems about. The kind of love who made him compose music about. The kind of love that's puts you very high in the sky and dive you just as deeply in the ground.

She was here, alive, in front of him. He finally heard the smooth sound of her voice.

And the first words she pronunced held the same intense magnitude as her bare presence.

Your daughter .

“Hey man! You’ve seen a ghost or what? Where are those towels?” Reggie’s voice was coming behind him. He felt his grip on the door loosen as Reggie was opening the door wide.

“Monica?” asked Reggie.  
“What...What are you doing here?”

For a moment, Archie was distracted by Reggie’s question. Did he just call her  Monica? 

\------------

Veronica felt blood running to her cheeks when Reggie came up behind a frozen Archie, calling her Monica. She totally forgot about that tiny detail. Reggie, whom she lied to, was here too.

“Monica? As in Monica Posh?” scoffed Cheryl amused. “I see that my girl V decided to bring back her blonde alter ego to the party”.

Archie’s brows furrowed and before she could explain herself, a third person invited herself in the door ajar.

“What’s going on here boys?” asked a familiar voice behind Reggie. Veronica recognized right away the voice of Betty Cooper, her best friend.  Her former best friend , she mentally corrected.  
“We’re going to cut the…cake.”  
Betty appeared at Reggie’s left. Her blonde hair tied in a messy, wet hair ponytail, wearing a long silk blue dress complimenting the color of her eyes. She paused a second when she recognized Veronica.

“Veronica!” she gasped.  
Reggie’s mouth opened wide in realization and Veronica blushed even more.  God . This wasn't typical for Veronica Lodge to blush or get embarassed about anything.

Betty’s astonished expression turned out to a big smile and she repeated:” Veronica! The best surprise ever!’ and she run pass Archie who didn’t seem to recover from the bomb the raven haired beauty dropped.  
Betty hugged Veronica who wasn’t moving, disconcerted by her old friend's warm reaction. The blonde girl was hugging her like nothing happened, like she left last week and not five summers ago. Like they were different persons from a different time.  
Betty untied her embrace to take a better look at Veronica.  
“How did you know we were having our engagement party?!  
“I didn’t…” started Veronica but Betty cut her right away, noticing Cheryl  
“Cheryl! You finally made it! Are you the one that brought V?!”  
“Yes” answered Cheryl simplistically. It was indeed true. She was the one who drove Veronica to the Andrews house.

Then, Betty noticed the little red headed silhouette firmly gripping on Veronica’s legs.  
Veronica opened her mouth, resolved to explain herself, but once again Betty's ahead of her:  
“Oh, and who’s that little ginger cutie?” she glanced at Cheryl.  
“If you’re asking me, as cute as a Blossom she would have been, she’s obviously not mine..” replied Cheryl with a playful smirk, before making clear: "..nor a blood relative "  
Betty kneeled to be at the level of the little girl. As she was approaching her hand to caress her, the children hide her head behind Veronica’s leg.

The child let out a small whimper panicked to see so many unknown faces and raised her arms asking to be held.  
The little girl’s silent request seemed to have extirpated Veronica from her momentary torpor. She picked the little girl in her arms.  
“That’s okay baby girl, I got you” she whispered to the little girl, legs around her mother’s waist, hiding her face in Veronica’s neck.

Betty’s eyebrows frowned in incomprehension: " So, I guess she came with Ve..?

“Very charming. If I may interrupt this little door party, It’s freezing outside and we’d be all more comfortable discussing this inside” commented Cheryl before pushing Archie and Betty from her way to the door, obviously not waiting to be invited.

As if Cheryl’s intervention brought everybody in motion, Betty nodded in approval and rushed inside followed by Reggie.

Veronica met Archie’s gaze, still locked on her. He seemed completely shaken up, certainly trying to absorb what happened in the last 30 seconds.

Veronica didn't move, not knowing if he wanted her to come in. After all, he could still tell her to just get the hell out. Instead, as soon as he realized she was silently asking for his permission, Archie promptly moved from the way to let her in.

Veronica squeezed her little girl even more and clumsily made her way inside the Andrew's house. He closed the door behind them and when she looked up, she find herself in the middle of the corridor where the hallway met the stairs at her right and the open living room to the left. Immediately, the discussions stopped and she met the incredulous gaze of dozens pairs of eyes.  
Approximately all of her old friends were here. Some of them were standing up, others sitting on the couch or slumped into the love seats.  
Everybody froze when they saw her. They looked like they've seen a revenant.

Well . That’s was basically it, according to the mystery she had apparently turned out during the last years.

Veronica sighed. Despite the overwhelming feeling, in some strange way, it felt good to be back home and to see those familiar faces she missed.

“Veronica?” finally whispered someone after what seems to be an eternity.  
“Josie. Pinch me if am dreaming” commanded the voice of who Veronica recognized to be Kevin’s.  
“Oh, Kev. I am not even sure of what I am witnessing myself” answered Josie.  
Jughead picked his head from the kitchen and a huge smile appeared on his face. She definitely did'nt expect Jughead to have the... merriest  reaction ?  
“If this isn't the raven bird princess, Veronica Lodge”.  
Noticing the child on her arms, he asked in a tone that sounded more like an affirmation: “and who’s that? Your child? ”

Jughead was still so perspicacious. 

  
As if it was possible, everybody seemed even more astonished after Jughead's comment. Before she could think of an answer, Archie’s voice finally reached out at her right.

“Is it real?”

He seemed to have recovered from his lethargy. She turned to face him, still holding her daughter very tight.  
He was looking straight in her eyes, confused, troubled, inquisitory.  
At least, anger or resentment weren't one those expressions.  Not yet  , thought the brunette.

“What's happenning Veronica?” asked Betty puzzled as well, looking back and forth at the ex-lovers.  
Everyone seemed to be just as confused, exception made for Cheryl who was wearing a huge smirk on her face and arms crossed on her chest.

“That’s real. I brought you your daughter” repeated Veronica looking down at the child on her arms.  
“Oh my god!” screamed Betty

The little girl tightened her embrace and burried her head deeper in her mother’s neck. She was confused and certainly scared by the agitation around.

“How is it possible?” asked Archie still very confused.  
“How do you think we make babies, Archie? You, xenormorphs, clearly couldn’t keep your hands off from each other’s” commented Cheryl.

She’s not even trying to hide how much she’s enjoying the scene. 

“Well. I think that’s the signal to head home. Tom, Kevin, Josie, we’re leaving” commanded Sierra Keller after a brief moment.  
“But…” Started Kevin before getting cut by his father:  
“You heard it Kevin. Everybody home. Archie and Veronica have some private discussion to make”.

“Come on, JB, Charles, Serpents.” FP stood up followed by everybody else.

The guests were quickly collecting their coats and bags, leaving. Veronica and Archie were still standing in the corridor, frozen.

“It’s good to see you Veronica. Alive. “Whispered FP Jones as he was passing by Veronica. She offered him a small smile as Kevin squeezed her forearm with an approving smile.  
He mouthed: "I missed you" before closing the door.

Veronica and Archie were now remaining with Betty, Jughead, Reggie and Cheryl. They remained petrified for what seems to be an eternity before Cheryl asks:

“Where is Tee-Tee? Juniper and Dagwood?”  
“Upstairs. Juniper poured her lemonade on Dagwood. She’s helping him change” finally answered Betty.  
“Fine, I am going to get them. It’s late.” She paused. “And Veronica, you should sit. You’re not going to stand up the whole evening with your child in the arms”

Veronica swallowed and threw a worried glance at Archie. Since she confirmed the reason of her reappearance, Archie was back to not speaking. The lack of reaction was scaring her even more.  
What was possibly going through his mind?

He looked up to her and finally said:

“Cheryl’s right. You must be tired and…” He paused, staring at the little silhouette in her arms “the… child too”.

Veronica nodded silently, walking towards the couch. Archie followed her and sat in the love seat next to her. He burried his head in his palms, trying to process the news.

“I think, I should leave too” announced Reggie before grabbing his coat. Betty and Jughead nodded in approval.

“I am sorry, Reggie” whispered Veronica as the young man was leaving the room. Archie lifted his head from his palms, brows travelling his hair line in surprise.

“Don't. I totally understand” answered the man with a grin, thumbs up and he closed the door behind him.

“How do you know Reggie?” asked Betty. Veronica looked at the blonde girl, carefully avoiding Archie’s intense gaze on her. He was also waiting for her to answer.

“They came in the same flight. Veronica must have pulled the Monica card” replied Cheryl getting down from the stairs, followed by the twins and Toni.

“I am happy to see you, girl” simply said the pink haired woman when she got downstairs. Veronica offered her a small grin.

“Toni said we’re going at Nana Alice's house. Are you going with us Aunt Betty?” asked the red headed little girl.  
Betty threw a glance at Veronica and Archie and before she could answer, Jughead replied:  
“Yes, Juni. Aunt Betty and I are coming”.  
He locked eyes with Archie and added:  
“We will let you figure out this together. If you need us, we’re across the street”.  
He was still staring at Archie with a warning look like he was saying: "Behave. If things get heated, we will be there in a minute".

“Parfait. I am getting you your suitcase and we let you discuss this in a civil way” concluded Cheryl.

\-----

Everybody finally left. Cheryl had dropped the suitcase and a bag in the corridor before closing the door with an enthusiastic: Toddles!  
Here they are, alone. Well, with  the child  thought Archie.  
Veronica finally broke the uncomfortable silence between them:  
“Can I get her to sleep?” she asked.  
Of course, thought Archie. He felt stupid not to have suggested it himself. She was sitting in the couch, the little girl still wrapped aroung her like a life buoy.  The child  must be afraid, baffled by what was going on around her.  
“Of course. You can go upstairs. To my room. I’ll get the suitcase”  
Veronica climbed the stairs and he followed her closely to his room.  
It felt surreal. She was really here. Everything was going on so quickly.  
Twenty minutes ago, he was racing against Reggie to get the first serve of the cake and now, he was following Veronica to his room.

After dropping the bags in his room, he immediatly went to the guest room which used to be his father's. He didn't know if it felt right to stay in his room while Veronica was putting her child to sleep. He could'nt even bring himself to think about Veronica as a mother. During the past five years, he thought of many scenarios of what and where Veronica was but, he never thought of her having a kid. Let alone, theirs.

STOP . He can't process this right now.

  
He was going back and forth in the room, questions bursting in his mind. He was feeling completely powerless, confused, chocked and just...absolutely  lost  .  
Archie felt like he was a small leaf in the storm. He couldn't fight the wind gusts that were knocking him out.  
How is it possible?

  
She left with her father five years ago,  to be with someone better  .  
Everybody was speculating about how she might have died in the Pembroke’s fire but he knew it wasn’t real. She didn’t burn in the fire. It was still so vivid in his mind.

**FLASH BACK- June 17th, 2016**

He shouldn’t have listened to Betty. Here he was in the parking lot of Riverdale High, in the middle of the night, holding his poor bow tie in his head, standing against his truck and feeling like the most ridiculous boy in the world.  
It was wrong to be here in the first place. What was he expecting coming to prom night after Veronica dumped him last week?  
One minute, they were crazy in love, stronger than ever, planning to escape Riverdale and her father’s sprawling shadow. Next moment, they were  nothing .  
“ He was nothing”, he mentally corrected himself, remembering her exact words:  
“You are nothing to me, Archie. Did you really think I would run away with you? Did you really think that will be enough? You’re **delusional** , Archie Andrews” 

Delusional

Yes, he was a  delusional idiot . The dumbest person in the world. He couldn’t even blame her.  
She was  Veronica Lodge  . The prettiest girl in the world.  
Let alone beauty, she was funny, impossibly smart, multi- talented, kind and good hearted.  
She isn’t just undeniably gorgeous but also academically brilliant, a straight shoe for Harvard. She could run a Maple rum business with Cheryl, pull out a successful musical show and still shine at the top of her cheerleading pyramid. She was elegant, classy, well-mannered and always ready to jump out to her friends rescue. It was almost surreal.  
She was the strongest girl he has ever known and she had it all.  
Girls envied her and Boys desired her.  
How did he think he deserved her? How did he think that Veronica Lodge would run away with him?

It was like chasing stars.

Honestly, he could consider himself lucky. It was a miracle that they have been together for so long before she notices that he was just a small town boy that couldn’t offer her half of what she deserved.  
But yet again, he has been selfish, secretly enjoying she wanted him by his side. They pushed it until it finally broke.  
Tonight must have been all about them.  
After prom night, they had decided to run away from town, get to Toledo where Jughead’s mother promised to hide them until Veronica will be 18. Than, they might go to California or even overseas with the economy they made from their businesses. They would live happy ever after. Together. Forever. Like a fairytale. But life teach you that fairy tale don't happen in real life. In real life, villains always win.  
At the beginning of the year, Veronica’s father, Hiram Lodge, got out from jail after spending the last three years in jail for fraud and embezzlement.  
He learned that Hermione Lodge, Veronica’s mother, cheated on him with his deceased father: Fred Andrews. Archie‘s father died the summer before Senior year and Hiram Lodge wanted to get revenge.  
Throughout the year, he manipulated Archie to do his bidding, sending him to gloomy poker nights and involving him in shady underground boxing fights. Slowly, he dragged him in shark infested waters, waiting for him to make the inevitable mistake. But Veronica always stood up against Hiram, warning Archie to pay attention and preventing him for falling into her father’s pitfall.  
Archie finally realized Hiram never considered him as part of the family and just wanted to get rid of him. Failing to make him achieve the crime, Hiram Lodge was trying to frame him for the murder of his doorman André during riot night. He had a mysterious proof that could drag Archie down.

Besides the adultery, Hiram believed Archie would never be good enough for his daughter. He wanted her to be with someone like Nicolas Saint-Clair. Rich. Powerful. Entitled.  
Archie‘s jaw clenched remembering the scene he witnessed few hours ago.

What was he even doing here right now?  
He listened to Betty who told him that coming to prom will make him forget about the void in his chest. After she insisted so much, telling him that Jughead would only accept to come if Archie was here to keep him company while she'd take care of the prom queen election, he capitulated.

It was ridiculous. His eyes were wandering through the gymnasium to meet hers even if he knew she wasn't going to come. His heart ached for her. It was pointless to pretend like he was doing well when he only felt like crawling to his bed and cry until he'd fall asleep.

As he finally decided to jump in his truck and run away home, he caught sight of a small silhouette draped in black. Before he could perceive her face, he knew it was  her . She was walking towards him. Something was wrong. Her gait was swaying, unbalanced. He wanted to run towards her and hold her in his arms but he froze.  
He finally could see her face. She was stained with a black powder, her usually perfect silky hair was messy, her lips swollen and her eyes were puffy and red. She cried.

Archie felt his heart crack up. He could'nt stand to see her crying, no matter why. He was trying hard not to hug her, instead he asked softly: 

“What happened ?” He was sad, angry at her but he couldn’t avoid the gnarled feeling of worry inside his belly.  
“My dad…We argued” she replied in a whisper, like she was going to burst in tears at any second. She looks fragile. Veronica Lodge never looks fragile.  
“I set fire to the Pembroke. It’s over.” She added.  
Archie’s eyes grew wide in disbelief.  
“What did you do?”  
“It’s over.” She repeated. “We still can run away. He can’t stop us. I burnt every proof he built against you”  
Despite looking so miserable, recovered in coal and ashes, she tried to pull out a small smile.  
Archie wasn’t moving, still looking at her in total incredulity.  
“Did you listen to me Archie? It’s over! “She raised her hand, reaching out to caress his cheek but he suddenly backed off.  
“But, you said…” he started.  
“What I said didn’t matter?’ she cut him. “ I lied. I wanted to drove you away so my dad wouldn’t suspect I was working against him”  
She beamed at him again and added:  
“Now, it’s over. We can be together”. 

No . She's lying. Even if Veronica Lodge isn't one to lie, she's fooling herself. She backed off because she knew she hurted him but he wasn't going to let her ruin her life. He already lost his father. He wasn't going to deprive her of her father, her family. He wasn't going to let her waste her life with someone like him. She had big dreams: going to Harvard, opening her business, move back to New York and help legitimate Lodge Industries. He wasn't going to take away all this dreams. Her father was right, he had nothing to offer her in return. She knows it. She tried to reach out for his embrace but he stopped her, holding his wrists:  
“ I think you were right. I don’t deserve you. I think your father’s right, we shouldn’t be together”  
She was looking at him confused. She shook her head and protested:  
“What are you talking about Archie? I am telling you it was a play! I didn’t mean what I said”

He wasn't going to let her be the delusional one and risk them, risk her, to regret it.

Archie was looking at her severely. He finally let go off her wrists and declared, his words as sharp-cutting as a sword:  
“I don’t want you either. I don’t want to have anything to do with you. **Ever again** ".

He climbed in the driver seat and started the car.

In the side mirror, he could see her standing still. A breeze blow her cape and makes her shiver. She's watching him leave, his words still resonating in her head. Jaw clenchd, he holds to the wheel so tightly that his knuckles are white. He 's forcing himself so hard not to return back and hold her in his arms and never release her again. Her dazed gaze is the last thing he'll get to remember before making a turn to drive out of the parking lot.

**End of the Flashback**

It was the last time Archie Andrews saw Veronica Lodge. Five years later, she appeared in his porch with the most outstanding revelation.

“I am sorry if we disturbed you”  
Archie emerged from his thoughts and turned out to the door where Veronica was standing. It took him a moment to process her words, lost in the depth of her twinkling eyes.

If up to there he seemed completely off, frozen, Archie seems to have now regained his senses as he fires back:

“Really? You’re sorry to disturb me? Is that everything you have to say?” He asked, not able to control the sharpness of his voice.  
“I am not here to fight with you. I told you, I came to bring you your daughter.” She answered calmly.  
“Why now?” He asked, almost screaming.  
“ I am really sorry if it’s bad timing..”  
He immediately cut her, now yelling:  
“Bullshit! What timing are you talking about? How could you keep something like that from me? Didn’t you think that I deserved to know?”  
Veronica swallowed hard.  
“She needs her father.”  
Archie nervously chuckled.  
“Didn’t it cross your mind before? Like during the past.. what.. Four years and a half ? “  
She looked down and said in a whisper:  
“I thought I could handle it on my own but,..it got out of control... I..I just can’t do it anymore”  
She looked up and met Archie’s gaze. He looked furious and confused. Archie is not used to see Veronica so calm and "not defensive" in an argument. He runs his hand in his hair.  
“Are you serious? Out of control? Do you think it’s fair for me?" He opens his arms powerless " What were you thinking, Veronica?” He can't bring himself not to scream.  
The raven haired woman doesn't answer. She feels her heart crack when she hears her name between her lips for the first time in five years. As he's waiting for her to answer, his gaze turns accusatory and suscipicious and he asks:  
“Did you know? That night, in the parking lot, did you know?”  
“The night you left me.” She replied him defiantly, supporting his gaze.  This  is the Veronica he used to know. Firing back rather than complying.  
“I didn’t leave you. You left me!” he screamed.  
“I told you I had to do it! But you”  
“Answer the damn question! Did you know?!” he's yelling so loud that she almost blenched.  
“Of course, I didn’t know!”  
“So, why didn’t you tell me when you knew? Didn’t I deserve to know?”  
“I wanted to tell you” she said, her voice back to a lower tone.  
“But you didn’t!” Archie couldn’t stop screaming.  
“I couldn’t!” she let go in a sigh.

He got closer to her, only inches away.  
“Why? Tell me why! Give me a freaking viable reason!”  
“I just couldn’t Archie”  
Suddenly, the room was silent. He missed the way she had to pronounce his name, emphasizing the last syllable. They were now looking in the eyes of the others decisively, air electrifying between them.  
“Can you imagine how I am supposed to feel? Cause I don’t know myself!” he let go, arms raised defenselessly.  
His voice crackened, his brows furrowed. He has an indescribable expression on his face.  
“Please, stop screaming” begged Veronica “Can we stay civil for a moment? I know it’s confusing but she’s your daughter and she needs you”.  
“How do I even know if she’s really mine?”  
Silence.  
Veronica is taken back. She anticipated many reactions from Archie: anger, scare, chock, reject, hate but she never expected those words.  Maybe she should have. 

Archie immediately regrets his words. He spilled them out of anger but he knows what he said is wrong. He shouldn’t have said that. He never believed for a second that Veronica would lie about that. He just wanted to hurt her as badly as he was.

“I am sorry. I...”  
She cut him short, raising her palm in front of him to stop him from finishing his sentence.  
“I got it. You can make a DNA test. “  
“No. Listen Veronica!” He approaches her but she backs off  
“It doesn’t matter. Really. You can make a DNA test if you want assurance”  
“I didn’t want to..” She was about to turn and leave when he held her by her wrist and she winced in pain. He immediately let go of her wrist and she hastily hide it behind her back.  
His brows furrowed. His grip wasn't this strong. Why did she slip her hand behind her so quickly?

“What are you hiding?” He quickly reached out to her forearm, rolling up the sleeve of her coat revealing an arm covered with cuts and bruises shaped in the form of fingers

. He froze. The marks look bad, very bad.  
“Leave me!” She tried to push him but he is still holding to her.  
“What is that? Who did this to you?” His eyes darken. His voice is hoarse.  
“Let GO!” she protests.

He feels madness boiling out in his veins. Who dared?

“Don’t hit my mommy!”

Behind Veronica, the little red headed girl is standing on the doorway, squeezing her bunny firmly. His gaze met the little girl’s one. She was looking at him. Everything about the little girl’s face was screaming Veronica. He didn't notice it the first time but now, it so clear. She's definitely Veronica's daughter.  
From her cute little nose, her olive skin, her perfectly defined lips, her big doe-like shaped eyes. Everything. Except for her sunset orange hair and her hazel nut pupils.

Pupils similar to liquid gold.  
Now he knows why those eyes felt so familiar at the second he'd met her gaze, in his porch. It was the same eyes he’d see on the mirror every morning. She had his eyes.  His daughter  had his eyes.  
He felt even more stupid to have thought for half a second the little girl wasn’t his.  
He fell on his knees, unable to turn his gaze away from the child's.  His child .

Gravity has always been an odd concept for him.  
Before Veronica entered his life like an earthquake, he never questioned it. Gravity naturally retained him to the ground.  
But this late summer evening when Veronica entered Pop’s, gravity shifted.  
He never understood why he felt the need to look who was entering the dinner. But he did. And suddenly, she became the center of the universe.  
His world was gravitating around her.  
The past five years without her, he felt unbalanced, always on the edge, like he could fall at any second without her to keep him steady.  
He always felt this attraction towards her, between them. The same that electrified the air at the second he met her gaze on his porch, few minutes prior.  
But when it came to the little girl, it feels completely different. Gravity didn’t shift from Veronica to her. It was like the universe expanded and suddenly, he couldn’t stand up without them. Without  both  of them.

“I would never…“ he whispered, his eyes suddenly filling with tears. He can't control his emotions anymore.  
Veronica pinched her lips and she felt the same emotions overwhelming her. She was trying hard to hold her own tears. Instead, she bended on her knees and smiled to the little girl, holding her little hand in hers.  
“That’s okay, baby girl. Daddy is not going to hurt Mommy. Nobody’s going to hurt us”

Daddy. 

Veronica kissed the little girl’s hand, reassuring her.  
Archie couldn’t let his eyes from the little face in front of him. He unsurely reaches out to touch her but she backed off and buried her head in Veronica’s embrace.

Archie’s eyes meet Veronica’s. She knew him for three years, through his lows and his ups. She dried his tears when his father got shot by the Blackhood, she helped him grieve when his father died, she looked in his eyes when they broke up, when they fought, when her father threatened him. She has seen Archie in so many of his lows but she has never seen this look in his beautiful amber eyes. Archie Andrews never looked so… confused, weak, powerless, hurt. She feels like sobbing.  
They are still standing on their knees, their face so close to each other, her daughter in her arms, between them, and she sees a single tear roll through his cheek.

“I am sorry. I didn’t want to offend you, I didn’t mean to scare her” he mutters.

Without warning, she can’t hold her tears anymore and they silently cry.  
Because he is the boy next door, Riverdale’s teen hero, small town’s good kid, the most kind- hearted, sweet, beautiful soul she has ever known,  
Because he is so filled with good that he is the first one to apologize for hurting her feelings as if she wasn’t the one who disappeared five years ago and dissimulated the existence of his own daughter.  
Because he is Archie Andrews.

“That’s fine, Archie. I can understand that you are confused and shocked. I never wanted to keep you away from her. Luna deserves to have a father that will love her and take care of her”

Archie wasn’t listening to her anymore, tears suddenly stopping their race.

“Her name is  Luna  ?” He asked, realizing he didn’t know his daughter’s name until this very exact second.

Veronica nodded, offering him a shy smile. She knows where his mind is travelling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO???  
> How do you think the first meeting went?  
> What do you expect next?


	4. Luna

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!  
> I am back. Third post in a week!  
> It is all because of you! When I saw those nice comments three days ago, it really motivated me to give you next chapter as soon as possible. 
> 
> As always, make sure to comment, leave a kudos, correction, suggestion etc. 
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy it and see you at the end.

All of a sudden, Archie got caught six years ago.

He was in Riverdale’s student lounge, sitting on a desk, next to the prettiest girl in the world.  
Veronica was leaned on papers, scattered all over the table. They were supposed to study but Archie couldn’t get his eyes off his girlfriend.  Mesmerized  .  
Every detail about her seemed to be perfectly conceived to make her even more beautiful: from her silky raven hair floating over her shoulders to the tip of her impossibly long eyelashes, fluttering behind black eyeglasses.  
Damn  . Even those eyeglasses, she didn’t like, made her terribly sexier.  
Frowning brows, Veronica is nervously chewing her pencil between her delectable lips. Archie wants to replace the pencil and smash his lips against hers, kiss her until they’d gasp for air. But he doesn’t.  
He knows she’d be mad at him. It‘s already been three times she asked him to focus and work but he just can’t.

She sighs in frustration.

Shit  . She looked up and noticed he was contemplating her. A small wrinkle appeared in the middle of her forehead and Archie knows she’s about to ask him if he finished his algebra exercise. Before she could speak, he precipitately asks:  
“So, what’s up with you changing name? “

After another heated argument with Hiram Lodge, Veronica told Archie she was thinking of changing her name because “ it’s tainted like Madoff or Corleone” .  
Successfully distracted by the question, Veronica thinks for a second before answering:  
“I thought I’d work with my mother’s name, Gomez.”  
“So, I’d be dating Veronica Gomez and not Veronica Lodge? What she’s like?” teases Archie.  
“I don’t know. I would like to say we’ll find out but.” She sighs again. “It just doesn’t feel right. And…”  
She pauses and looks at him, hesitantly, before explaining:  
“My abuelita told me we weren’t always the Lodges. My grandfather‘s name was Luna but Daddy changed it for something more “respectable”, more “fearing”  
She rolled her eyes, alluding to Hiram Lodge’s insatiable addiction to power.  
“Luna is a cute name. I really love it, Ronnie” comforts Archie with his boyish grin that causes her heart to melt.  
“That’s the thing. It’s cute. More like a first name. I hate to admit it but my father is right on this one, it’s doesn’t sound… impressing. I need to find the perfect name. A name, I’d want to pass up. “  
“A name you’d want to pass up? Our children won’t have my name? “Spontaneously asked her red headed lover.  
“ Our  children?” Repeated Veronica, taken aback.  
Archie finally realized what he said and the implication it meant.  
It was so natural for him. He would never think of building a life with someone else.  
So he smiled at her, his cheeks colored in a faint blush.  
She was still looking adorably confused.  
“Yes, Ronnie. Our Children. As those we’re going to have in the future, when we’d get married. “He paused. “Wouldn’t you love to?”

He looks worried now. Maybe it’s not what she wants. Veronica has so many things on her plate. She’s so ambitious and maybe she doesn’t think of the same future. Maybe he freaked her out with his small town boy vision. For him, it has always been so crystal clear. He’d marry the girl of his dreams and raise their children, just as his father’s did.  
Veronica’s lips opened in a huge smile, eyes glowing. She leaned, cupping his face in her hands and whispered softly:  
“Despite your patriarchal assumptions, I’d love that, Archiekins.” and she kisses him. He immediately responds to her kiss, hands buried in her tenebrous hair.  
After a heavy make out session, they finally break out, gasping for air. Archie’s eyes are looking at her tenderly and he murmurs:  
“What if you stayed Veronica Lodge for now and hopefully, Mrs. Andrews in a couple of years. We’d save Luna for our daughter”  
Veronica smiles so widely that the muscle of her cheeks hurt.  
“That sure looks appealing, Archiekins. Is it a deal? ”  
“Deal”.

Deal. 

Back to present. This afternoon sounds so far. Maybe because it is. It’s almost as if it’s never existed, as if it wasn’t them. Yet again, she’s in front of him, their daughter,  Luna , in her embrace.

“You named her Luna?”  
“I couldn’t think of another name. “ She honestly admits. She wants to add:  
Even if you lied, even if you cheated, even if you betrayed me, I couldn’t think of another name for our daughter. We had a deal. You broke your promise but I couldn’t.  
But she doesn’t say it. She doesn’t say anything else.

He might be confused but a little part of him is happy. Happy she didn’t forget.

They are still staring at each others, eyes wet, flushed cheeks, hearts on the sleeve.  
They can’t look away. For the first time since she appeared in the porch, it feels like something is melting. It’s not two strangers staring at each other.

There is a familiarity, an intimacy...

She is so close that he can smell her sweet scent, a mix of cassis, peony, berries and vanilla. It’s almost intoxicating.

Suddenly, they hear a buzzing and the little girl jumps out, scared. She tightens her grip around her mother’s neck. Archie is intrigued, the little girl seems so… fearful.

“That’s okay, baby girl. It’s just mommy’s phone” explains Veronica, reaching for her phone inside the pocket of her coat.

She looks at the screen and her expression darkens. She doesn’t answer and simply puts back the phone on her pocket. Then, she looks back at Archie. The spell is broken.  
Whatever was happening seconds ago disappeared.

“She really needs to sleep” says Veronica. “Preferably, in peace.”  
She’s referring to his previous burst of anger and the screams that woke her up.

He regains his sense too, nods and stands up. She imitates him and carries the child to his old bedroom. Archie follows her and watches her put the child in his bed.  
Luna is still throwing him worried glances, firmly holding to her bunny.  
Something cracks inside him. He doesn’t want her to be afraid of him.

“Can I stay in, just a moment?” asks Archie, looking at them from the door ajar.  
Veronica doesn’t know if he’s talking to her or their daughter but she responds:  
“Of course”.

He approaches and sits on the edge of the bed. Veronica is holding the little girl in her arms, caressing her hair.

“Archie, you should call your mom?” She says after a moment.  
“What do you mean?” He wasn't expecting this.  
“You have to tell your mom about Luna. She needs to be here” explains Veronica in a tone that sounds more like a command rather than a suggestion.  
“Of course, I will… But I think it’s better if I wait a couple days until I..” he corrects himself “WE figure things out”.  
Maybe he got softened minutes ago when she told him about their daughter’s name but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t need explanations.  
“No. Right now.” She commands firmly.  
He’s surprised by her bossy tone and doesn’t understand why she seems so serious about it.  
“Why? It’s 11:30 pm. It’s late. I am, eventually, going to call her tomorrow.”  
“No. You need to call her immediately.” She insists.  
Archie’s brows arch even more and he asks, making sure not to scream:  
“What are you up to, Veronica? Why does it even matter to you?”  
“I have Luna’s birth certificate in the bag, you can sign it. But as an attorney, your mother could help with the other stuff.” She’s referring to child recognition, parental authority etc.  
Archie is now definitely suspicious and he whispers defensively:  
“You are not taking her away, aren’t you?”  
He throws a glance at the little girl. She looks calm but Archie knows she’s not sleeping yet, her fingers playing with Veronica’s hair.  
“Of course I am not. This is the reason why I am telling you to call your mom.  
Besides, I already told you. I came to bring you your daughter. ”  
“What is it about then?”  
Veronica swallows, searching for the right words but she eventually answers in a mutter:  
“I won’t take her away but…my father… If he knows…He won’t let you have her. You know how he is. He’ll use every weapon in his disposal”.  
He feels a bitter taste spread in his mouth, anger boiling in his veins.  
“He is not going to take her from me.  Nobody  is going to take her from me, anymore”. His tone is threatening and Veronica knows he’s including her.  
“Perfect. So you’re calling your mom”.  
It takes Archie a second before he remarks:  
“Wait. What about you? You’re not leaving her, aren’t you?”  
Veronica pinches her lips and she finally answers:  
“I will never leave my daughter alone.” She pauses. “What about you? Will you take care of her?”  
Archie doesn’t need to think about it and he is surprised to hear himself answer, almost immediately:  
“Of course, I am. I am going to step up. I might be disorientated but... “He looks down at the little girl buried in Veronica’s arms and hesitantly reaches out.  
He’s afraid the child will blench if he tries to touch her but Veronica’s eyes seem to encourage him.  
When his hands finally rest on the red haired head, words slide by themselves:  
“She’s  **my** daughter”.

For the first time, Archie sees the shadow of a miniscule smirk on Veronica’s lips.  
He feels a familiar warmth inside him and he doesn’t know if it’s because Veronica is smiling, even faintly, or because of the new emotions he's experimenting.

His  daughter.

She made the right decision, thinks Veronica. She knew that Archie Andrews might be confused, angry, furious; and he probably hates her too; but, he’d never let his child down. He left her but he will not leave his daughter.

“That’s everything I need to know. For now, can you please leave me a moment with her? She really needs to sleep”.  
Archie nods in approval and stands up.  
“We’ll have this conversation tomorrow. You still have some explanation to make and you’re not going away with it” he warns.  
Veronica swallows hard, unable to answer.

He is about to reach the door when Veronica stops him:

“Archie!”

God. He FREAKING missed how his name sounds when she pronounces it. 

He missed  everything  about her.

He turns back and her fingers are playing with the hem of the sheets she rolled up on her daughter. She looks up and they lock eyes for what seems to be a whole minute.

These dark pupils glowing in the night will be the end of him. They’d already been.

“Thank you. For everything. ”

Archie doesn’t know what she’s thanking him for. He didn’t do anything. But then she continues:

“And, I am sorry. I honestly didn’t want to burst in your life the way I did and throw this…whole situation… on your face”. She swallows. “on such a  special  day”.

He is even more taken aback. He doesn’t know what to answer.  
He‘s about to ask her: Why is she thanking him? What is she talking about? What special day? Why didn’t she burst in his life earlier? Why did she have to leave the way she did, in the first place?

But he doesn’t. He said he’ll give her tonight to rest and he knows that if he starts asking questions, he won’t stop. There is plenty of time ahead of them to figure out this whole situation.

“Good night, Veronica”. He smiles faintly and her heart misses a beat.

He throws a last glance at the little girl who picked her head from her mother’s neck. They are now both looking at him and he feels something strange tighten in his chest. He can't lose this.

He eventually closes the door and gets to his room. He proceeds to force himself to sleep but it‘s pointless. His brain is still trying to process what happened in the last two hours.

First, she came back. When he opened this door, he thought he was daydreaming but it was real. Veronica Lodge was real.  
Then, he saw this child. He immediately felt struck down. Just like when he met Veronica in Pop’s, seven years ago.  
It was like meeting someone you’ve heard so much about that you feel like you know him. Exception made, that he absolutely didn’t know a single thing about her.  
Next moment, Veronica’s first words are: “I brought you your daughter, Archie Andrews”. He had a child. He had a daughter. Luna  .  
He didn’t know she existed and this makes him utterly sick. He didn’t even know Veronica was pregnant when she disappeared!  
He had so many questions. He was feeling so many emotions. He  is  feeling so many emotions and he doesn’t recognize none of them. Maybe he’s scared, maybe he’s shocked, maybe he’s even happy. But the only thing he is sure about is that he’s absolutely confused. He needs answers.  
Finally, he tried to obtain answers but they had this argument. The little girl interrupting them, terrorized, thinking he was hitting Veronica when he only wanted to know who made her …those marks. **The marks**. He completely forgot about the bruises he saw on Veronica’s arm. His jaw clenches so hard it hurts.

It‘s definitely pointless to try to sleep when he feels the anger boiling again inside him.  
Something might have happened.  
Unable to sleep, Archie goes downstairs and proceeds to start cleaning the mess of the crushed party. He cleans the kitchen and the living room.  
When he’s over, it’s around 1 am and he knows it’s late but something tells him he need to do what Veronica asked him to.  
He takes his phone and dials the number. At the fourth ring, his mother picks up:  
“Archie? Are you okay? Is everything okay?”  
“Hey mom! I know it’s late but I have something to tell you..,” He doesn’t know how to get the words outside his mouth and Mary Andrews is clearly panicked.  
“Archie, what happened? Is Betty okay? Did something happen in the party?”  
“Calm down, mom. Everybody is alright,” He pauses and before he can explain, his mothers interrupts him again:  
“Don’t scare me, Archie! Why are you calling this late? Is the party over?”  
“Veronica is back!” He bursts out.  
“ Oh  .” Mary is silent. She’s certainly astonished.  
Archie doesn’t know what to say next. Is he going to tell her about Luna? How is he going to tell her?  
Congratulations, you are a grandmother  is not an option. Maybe he should have thought about it before making the call.  
After a moment, she finally asks softly:  
“Archie bear, are you okay?”. She uses the nickname she gave him when he was a little kid and he feels like crying. He wants to confess he's freaked out, confused, happy and nervous at the same time but instead, he responds:  
“Yes. I Mean, I guess.” He mumbles. “That’s not everything. There is something else. It’s better if I tell you in person”.  
“Oh. What’s happening, Archie? You’re scaring me.” Mary sounds confused.  
“Don’t worry, mom. Are you coming?” Archie’s voice is anxious. He doesn’t know what to add.  
“Of course, honey. I’ll be here tomorrow. Take care of you”  
“Thank you, mom. See you soon”.

When he hangs up, Archie looks outside. The night is pitch black and the rain has stopped. It just ruined Betty’s set up and stopped. Maybe he should start tidying the garden, At least put away the soaked chairs in the garage, he’ll take care of the decor later.

Archie puts the chair and the table away and when his home twenty minutes later, he feels exhausted. Maybe he will find sleep now.  
He removes his shoes covered in mud and climbs the stairs to his room.  
When he’s upstairs, he passes past his old room where Veronica and the little girl are sleeping and he can’t help but stop. Hand on the doorknob, Archie is wondering if he should check on them.  
No . What if Veronica is still awake? He doesn’t want to experiment an awkward situation.

He’s about to release his grip on the doorknob when he hears small sounds.  
Its sounds like the small voice of somebody crying. A child.

Luna is crying . She's certainly making a nightmare  
Again, he wants to tumble into the room but he restrains himself. Veronica obviously knows how to deal with this better than him.  
What is he going to do? The child doesn’t even know who he is? What if he's stepping up into boundaries?

But after few seconds, the whimper doesn’t stop and it’s getting louder.  
Veronica didn’t hear that? She‘s sleeping?

He slowly opens the door and the little girl is indeed crying in her sleep but Veronica’s nowhere to seen.  
His first reaction is to rush to the bed and he holds the child on his arms without thinking. Eyes closed, she’s weeping and mumbles some incoherent words:  
“Mommy… The shady man… Attention…Il a un couteau…Mommy… Il est méchant… He ‘s going to hurt you…”  
French?   
What language is she speaking? Archie doesn’t understand everything, he just rocks the little girl in his arm and caresses her hair. She smells like baby soap and vanilla and it’s already the most beautiful smell in the world.  
After a moment, the little girl ultimately opens her eyes and looks at him. Archie is afraid, he doesn’t know how she‘s going to react and he wonders where is Veronica. Is she in the bathroom?

He doesn’t have the time to think about it that the little girl outpaces him:  
“Where is Mommy? Did she go?”  
She doesn’t look terrorized, at least not by him, and it makes him feel better.  
“Your mommy is in the bathroom. She’ll come back in a minute. Don’t worry, I am with you.”  
It still feels terribly strange to think about Veronica as a mother.

Bet lost, Kevin. Betty is not the first mother of the group. 

The little girl is still looking at him and he feels so powerless in front of those big innocent eyes.  
“Do you want water?” he asks. She nods shyly and he grabs the bottle of water in the nightstand. As the little girl is drinking, Archie studies her face. He wants to learn every feature and register them in his mind.  
From the almond shape of her eyes to her small pouted lips, she definitely looks more like Veronica than himself.  
He wouldn’t want it any other way, he realizes.

Archie thinks that he might have never seen a child this beautiful.  
But yet again, isn’t something every parent say?

He’s again surprised by his own thought. It feels so spontaneous. Maybe he’ll get use to it quicker than he expected.  
What kind of father is he going to be?

“Merci”. The little girl is shyly handing him back the bottle.  
It definitely French. He took few lessons of French in sophomore after Veronica’s insistence but he quickly gave up. She was better than him anyways and he was hopeless. From the glimpse of his souvenirs, he knows that “Merci” means “Thank you”.  
The little girl is be bilingual ? Veronica has certainly spent more than few months in France during the last years. And he wonders how much he’ll have to learn this way. On the spot .

His own child is a total stranger to him. And it must be the same for her.  
Does she even know who he is? Did Veronica ever mention him?

Then, his gaze falls on the child’s neck where a necklace is clipped.

This necklace. 

It’s the one he gave Veronica on their first Christmas when she first told him she loved him. His heart tightens when he thinks of that day.

He reaches out to hold the heart-shaped pendant in his palm. The little girl is quiet, she doesn’t back off. Her doe eyes are still looking at him curiously.  
He opens the pendant and there are two pictures on each part of the heart.

“Mommy!” declares the little girl. She's pointing out, with her tiny little finger, at Veronica’s picture.  
“Yes, you’re right. That’s mommy.” Answers Archie. Glossy waves of raven hair, laughing eyes and berry lips stretched in a big smile. She looks like an angel.  The most beautiful angel in the world. 

“Archiekins!”

Archie’s doesn’t immediately realize what the little girl said but she is now pointing out at his picture.

“Daddy!” She says looking at him confidently, straight in the eyes.  
His heart skips a beat before starting to pound in his chest at a terrific speed.

She knows. 

His daughter knows who he is. Veronica told her.  
She told her that  Archiekins  is her father. What a Veronica thing to do, he thinks. Archie wants to laugh and cry at the same time.  
He feels that waves of emotions are overwhelming him for the second time of the night since Veronica appeared in his porch.

“Daddy!” repeats the red headed girl, looking at him, waiting for his validation.

Until this very exact moment, Archie didn’t think that there would be a more beautiful sound than Veronica calling him.  
Trying to hold the tears that threaten to flow, Archie answers:

“That’s right. I am your  Daddy .”

The little girl beams at him and he can’t hold it anymore. Tears start to drop and he hugs the little girl in his arms.  
He thought he have never seen a more beautiful child but now, he  knows . She's  perfect  .  
Archie is sure he can be used to see this smile for the rest of his life.  
And at this exact moment, he’s wondering how he could have lived without this tiny little human being. 

After rocking the little girl for a good ten minutes, his tears are finally dry and he can release his embrace. It looks like she’s fallen back in the arms of Morphee.

Archie rolls up the sheets over his daughter and kisses her forehead.

Where is Veronica? 

It finally hits him that Veronica has been gone for at least 20 minutes.  
She can’t be in the bathroom for such a long time.   
An unpleasant presentiment invades him and he hastily gets up to search for her.

He checks his bedroom, the guest bedroom, the bathrooms and he runs downstairs. She’s neither in the kitchen nor in the living room.

“Veronica!” He calls but nobody is answering.

He checks the garage and the backyard but he knows it’s pointless.

She’s not here. She left. **Again**. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what did you think??
> 
> I don't know why but when I thought of Varchie's child, the name Luna stuck with me and I couldn't get to name her any other names like Victoria or Maddie that I often see in other fanfictions. I hope the backstory makes sense. 
> 
> For this chapter, I didn't really want to progress on the whole mystery but I thought it was important to explore Archie's feeling when he receives such a news. 
> 
> Of course, at the end we're back to Veronica's sudden disapearances.  
> What do you think? Where is she? Back to New York? Maybe at Betty's? or Cheryl's? 
> 
> Stay connected. 
> 
> Toodles ;)


	5. Gone Missing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everybody!  
> So, I left you last chapter with Veronica once again vanishing.  
> What's your guesses?  
> Do you think she went to have a talk with Betty ? Or Cheryl? Or did she get back to New York?  
> I tried to put few pictures to make it more vivid but I am afraid it's ruinning the whole thing.  
> Please let me know what you think of the story in the comment section. It really encourages me!  
> Thank you :D
> 
> See you at the end!

_Maybe she went to Betty’s?_

He is about to run to the front door when he remembers that the little girl is sleeping upstairs, alone. He grabs his phone and Betty answers at the second tone:

“Arch, what...” She begins to say but he immediately cuts her:

“Betty! Is Veronica there?”

“What do you mean? Isn’t she with you?” Betty sounds confused.

“No. No. She is not here. Can you come over?”

“For sure, Juggie and I will be here in a second”.

Archie hangs up and sits by the counter of the kitchen, breathing heavily. Vegas is rubbing his head on his legs, sensing how anxious Archie is.

He is sweating and can’t help the shaking of his hands.

Where did she go in the middle of night? What’s happening again? Why does she keep disappearing like that?

It’s barely been three minutes since he hung up when Betty, followed by Jughead, tumble in the kitchen.

“Where did she go?” asks Betty as soon as she gets in. She seems just as worried as he is.

“Did you fight?” immediately adds Jughead.

Archie sighs, burying his head in his palms.

“No, we didn’t… I mean, yes… We argued but it was not that bad… We agreed to speak tomorrow and we went to sleep. I couldn’t so I went downstairs to make some cleaning“

“So, when did she leave? Didn’t you see her?” interrogates Jughead, trying to understand.

Archie is confused, obviously trying to recollect the events of the evening in his mind.

“At some point, I went to the backyard to put away the chairs…I guess that’s when she…”

He sighs again.

“I went to check on Luna and she was just… _gone_ ”. He confesses in a breath, his voice breaking at the last word. 

“Luna?” repeated Jughead and Betty.

Archie eventually peaks his head and looks up at his best friends that are looking at him inquisitively.

Betty’s eyes grew wider in realization and she mumbles:

“Oh. You mean…”

“ _My_ _daughter._ ” Archie confirms.

It’s the first time he vocalizes this word out loud and it makes him feel some type of way. Betty and Jughead seem disconcerted too. It’s not like they just heard the news. It was actually the topic of conversation since they left earlier but it still felt strange. It felt more _real_.

They stayed silent for a short moment before Betty notes:

“Veronica wouldn’t leave her daughter behind her.”

Archie has been thinking the same thing for the last minutes and it comforts him that he‘s not the only one. But then again, didn’t she leave him when everybody, including him, thought she’d never?

The blonde girl pauses a second before asking:

“Arch, have you checked with Cheryl? After all, she came with her…”

Archie immediately reacts at her suggestion, brows travelling his hairline in surprise:

“Wait. I thought Cheryl was at your house?”

“Yes, she was but she obviously wasn’t going to sleep in. You know she doesn’t have the best relation with my mom. She left the twins for the night and went back to Thistle House with Toni…”

Betty didn’t finish her explanation that Archie already jumped out from his chair and pulled out his phone to call their red headed friend.

“Cheryl is not answering. I am going to her place” Archie rushes to the door, grabs his keys and coat.

“Archie wait a minute. Try again” protests Betty but Archie is not listening. He’s about to open the door when Jughead remembers him:

“What about your daughter? What if she wakes up?”

Archie stops his movement and turns back. He‘s about to answer his friend that they perfectly know how to take care of a child when the events of earlier crosses his mind.

 _Jughead is right_.

What if she makes another nightmare and wakes up with total strangers by her side?

She already seems so apprehensive.

Veronica might have told their daughter about him and he just gained a little bit of her trust earlier but what about Jughead and Betty?

He doesn’t want to scare her.

“Fine. Let’s try again.” He capitulates.

Archie drops his coat somewhere on the counter of the kitchen as Betty is already dialing Cheryl’s number.

The outstanding Blossom finally answers at the third time and her high pitched voice resonates in the room through the speaker:

“What is it, Cousin Betty? Can’t I enjoy one night with my Tee-Tee? Is it Juniper or Dag…”

Archie cuts her before she finishes her answer:

“Listen, Cheryl. Is Veronica with you?”

“Archie? No. She’s not in your house?”She sounds just as troubled as Betty was.

“No, she’s not. Did you speak with her? Did she call you? Do you have any idea where she could be?” The questions burst out of Archie’s mouth the way they’re certainly are in his mind.

“No. I am coming.”

“Wait...”

And before Archie can add a word, Cheryl already hung up.

“Why does she always have to disappear with no explanation?” Archie screams, punching the wall.

“Archie, calm down please. You’re going to wake up the child. We’ll figure this out. We’re going to find her.”

Betty and Jughead try to calm him down as he’s massaging his painful knuckle.

_Where did she go?_

She broke up with him. That’s okay. 

She didn’t fight for him, for them. He might have deserved it. 

He's not worthy of her. He always knew it.

She probably loves somebody else. He can’t fight against that. 

She left him with no explanations. That's also something he tried to accept. 

But than, she shows up at his house five years later, letting him know she had their baby without informing him. She stole from him the right to be a part of his daughter's life and she disappeares once again.

Why did she leave him again before answering any of his questions? Wasn’t he worthy of an explanation?

Why did she leave her daughter?

 _How_ could she leave her daughter?

She said she’ll _never_ leave her.

After a good fifteen minutes, Cheryl burst in the kitchen with Toni.

“What did you do, you hipster red Paul Varjak?” She glares at him, hand on her waist.

“Wait Cher, it’s not like that…” starts to explain Betty but Archie fires back:

“Why are you even assuming I did something wrong?” He can’t help the exasperated tone of his voice. He definitely doesn’t have the time for Cheryl’s cat fights.

“Because V wouldn’t be running away to Riverdale, and accessorily to **_you_** , and suddenly disappear the same night.” Her tone is sharp and accusatory. 

Archie is about to object when it hits him:

“Run away?” he repeats. Something happened. He had a feeling but now he’s sure.

“Did she tell you what happened? Why she came back _now_ and left Luna? How long have you been talking to her?”

Cheryl seems to have lost her aggressive confidence. She looks staggered and repeated after him:

“ _She left Luna_?”

“Yes. She’s sleeping upstairs” confirms Jughead.

“Babe, did she tell you something else?” hastens to ask Toni.

“No, she didn’t. I received a call this afternoon, around 3pm. She was crying. _Really_ crying. “

Archie feels like someone punched him hard in the stomach. It takes a lot to make Veronica Lodge cry. 

“I tried to understand what happened but she only asked me to buy her two plane tickets from New York to Rockland County and pick her up from the airport. She didn’t want to use her father’s credit card. She gave me the information and that’s it. ” Explains Cheryl.

“So you’re saying she can’t be back in New York?” asks Jughead.

“No. I don’t think so. She sounded… _terrified_.” Notes Cheryl.

“When you picked her up, in your way, didn’t she say something else? Where has she been all this time? Why did she wait five years? What she’s planning to do? ”

“No, she didn’t Betty. She was obviously nervous to be back and face Archie with her own little Liv Tyler. I didn’t want to push her.”

“What about the phone number?” remarks Jughead.

It immediately catches Archie’s attention and he looks at Cheryl, a glimpse of hope dazzling in his hazel nuts eyes.

“You mean the number she called me from? That wasn’t hers. I tried to call when I was waiting for her in the airport and it went to the voice mail of an Italian Restaurant in Park Avenue” replies Cheryl.

They all sigh, downhearted.

They remain silent for a moment before Cheryl says out loud what Archie has been dreading to admit:

“Something happened. Something _bad_ happened. It’s not like Veronica Lodge to get back like a rocket, drop her child and run away like a Xanax single mumsie _who can’t make it anymore_.”

Everybody seemed to approve silently. Veronica Lodge is a fighter, not a quiter. 

“Actually, they _both_ looked very nervous” noted the red haired beauty.

“The child slept during the whole ride but when I was waiting for Veronica to speak with you first, she woke up” clarified Cheryl.

“She made a nightmare” recalls out loud Archie. That's what Cheryl said when she was climbing the stairs to meet them under the porch. 

Cheryl nods and continues:

“She was mumbling in French about”…

“The shady man.” finishes a voice behind Toni.

Everybody turns to the direction of the voice. It’s Reggie who spoke. He’s accompanied by Kevin and Josie, all three standing in the hallway. Tonight, nobody cared to knock on the door before getting in. 

“I called Kevin on the way. I thought that V could be with him. They used to be so close.” explains Toni before anyone could ask a question.

“And I went to Kevin and Josie’s after the party” clears out Reggie.

Archie’s brows are still arched in dubiety.

“How do you know about that _shady man_?”

Now, he also remembers that his little girl rumbled the same thing earlier.

“ We came in the same airplane. The child was very agitated during the whole flight, making nightmares and mumbling things. I just understood that she was scared of a man who could hurt her mother. She seemed...”

“Traumatized” finished Cheryl as realization hit them all three.

Archie felt stupid. He thought his child made a random nightmare. He didn’t even question it.

“She had bruises.” admits Archie in a whisper, almost like he’s confessing a secret. Everybody turned to his direction, a questioning look in their eyes. 

“Veronica had bruises and cuts all over her wrist and forearm, like someone else did this to her…like she got _beaten"_ Archie can’t control the groaning of his voice at the end of his sentence.

Cheryl let out a small cry and everybody seems even more petrified by the new revelations.

“She didn’t say who did that?” asked Jughead. It was obviously more of an affirmation than a question. Archie wouldn't be standing here if she said who did this to her. 

“I was about to ask her when Luna interrupted us”. Archie is replaying the scene in his mind. He swallows hard.

“She wailed something like: _Don’t hit my mother_!”

_Silence_.

Everybody was processing Archie’s revelation. Betty and Cheryl were on the verge of crying and Archie was back burying his head in his hands, his foot nervously taping the ground. _What happenned to them ?_

He groaned: “I am going to kill him. Whoever did that I am going to kill him.”

“Is it possible that Hiram Lodge is behind this?” suggests Jughead. Archie’s jaw automatically clenches when he hears the name of Veronica’s father.

“No way. Hiram Lodge is a psycho but he wouldn’t actually harm Veronica. I mean _physically_. Would he?” objects Kevin.

“Guys! Are you listening to each others? It’s not the time to think about what or who did that to Veronica. She‘s obviously so terrified that she entrusted her daughter to Archie and run to hide. We need to find her!” scolds Betty regaining the unalterable cold blood and perspicacity that made her an excellent FBI agent.

Archie is not listening. Rage has poisoned his senses. The self-control he tried to maintain since he saw those bruises is nowhere to be found. He now knows there is a bigger picture, a bigger picture he has no idea about.

But Betty is right. He needs to find Veronica and learn from her mouth what happened.

“What do you suggest Bets?” asks Jughead.

He knows Betty’s mind work at a terrific speed and he’s certain she already has a plan.

“First, I’ll inform Charles and he’ll see what the FBI can do. Jughead and Toni reunite the Serpents and start looking for her in the Southside. Kevin and Josie, you’ll check the train stations and the airport. Cheryl and I will pay a visit to our old spots: Riverdale High, Pop’s etc.”

“Do you really think that she’ll leave in the middle of the night to go to Pop’s?” objects Archie, not trying to hide his exasperation.

“Betty is right, we have to consider every option. Maybe it’s not as bad as you think and she just left for a walk.” Answers Jughead.

“Right, Jug. Maybe, she just needed fresh air and felt nostalgic. Plus, if your assumptions are right, she’s obviously overwhelmed” adds Kevin.

“Which one of us didn’t end at Pop’s when he felt bad? It’s the safest place in Riverdale” completes Jughead with a wink, remembering him about all this times they end up in a booth at Pop’s, drinking milkshakes, after vanquishing all sort of dangers.

_He_ used to be Veronica's safest place, " _the broad shoulder she could cry on every now and then_ ". Knowing she doesn't trust him, hurts even more. 

“Besides, she doesn’t have a car. She can’t go far with those Mikael Kors boots. Let’s go!” concludes Cheryl.

“What about me?” questions Reggie while everybody is moving towards the door.

“Reggie, Veronica doesn’t know you. It’s better if you stay here with Archie.” Replies Betty, kinking an eyebrow towards Archie who looked completely drown in his thoughts. She clearly meant “Make sure he doesn’t do something stupid”.

Archie looks up to Betty, out of his trance.

“Because I am supposed to stay here when you’ll go look for my.. for _the mother of my daughter_?”

“Arch, I know it’s frustrating but you have to stay here.” She pauses and continues, emphasizing every syllable: “For _your_ daughter”.

He knows Betty’s right but it’s still frustrating. Everybody leaves and as Archie feels powerless, sitting by the _freaking_ counter.

Reggie clumsily pats him on the back, in recomfort. 

“Listen, man. I wasn’t around when everything happened with this girl but stay positive. As Kevin and Jughead said, she just went for a walk.” 

“What are you talking about Regg? Did you listen what I said? She had freaking bruises on her arms and **my** daughter is making nightmares about a shady man who could hurt or hurted her mother” Archie burst.

“Hey, man. I know you’re scared and I saw you ride up a shitty road these past years but it’s going to be alright. I know she means a lot to you...” Tries to cool Reggie but Archie is out of his mind and he lets out the whole frustration he was feeling. He stands up and pulls Reggie from the collar of his jacket.

“You have ABSOLUTELY no idea what I’ve been through! And you don’t know what she means to me!” yells Archie.

“She is… She is…” and the words don’t seem to come out anymore. _The love of his life?_

Does he have the right to claim her as that? 

_Is she anyways?_

He has absolutely no idea who is Veronica Lodge for him. Until a couple hours ago, she was a specter from his past, he learnt to live with. Or, it’s more accurate to say, a specter he tried to live without.

He spent the last three years forbidding himself to think about her, even if he couldn’t help it.

His friends avoided speaking her name and asking him questions he didn’t have the answer anyways. 

He was thankful for Betty who prevented him from drowning. Not to forget about Jughead, of course. They both helped him properly take over his father’s business and learn to take care of himself.

But inside, he was completely heartbroken.

He has been told to get her off his mind but the truth is that he hoped he’d never heal from the wounds she left behind. Every moment of pain remembered him she had been real and that every souvenir they had wasn’t an illusion.

Archie’s grip on Reggie’s collar loosens and he spills out the only truth he’s certain of:

“She is the mother of my daughter. “

Reggie doesn’t seem impressed by Archie’s latest burst of anger.

“Is it really why you’re losing your mind? Just because the _mother of your daughter_ left without explanation? Don’t fool yourself Andrews, you still love that girl.”

Archie totally release his grip on Reggie and pushes him against the fridge.

“I am going to check on Luna.”

Archie leaves the kitchen and Reggie’s words are still echoing in his mind when he makes his way to the bedroom where the child is peacefully sleeping.

At least, the noise didn’t wake her.

Archie sits on the edge of the bed and contemplates his daughter’s angelical face. Her hair is messy, floating on the pillow and covering a part of her cheek. Archie tucks one of her red locks behind her ear and watches her lips pinch as she’s swallowing in her sleep. 

He learnt her existence only few hours ago but he can’t imagine his life without her anymore. He remembers the smile she gave him when she called him Daddy and he knows he’d give his last breath to protect her.

He wants to know everything about her. What does her laugh sounds like? What’s her favorite cartoon? What kind of games does she like to play? What food does she like? What was her first word?

He’ll never know what kind of baby she was.

He knows nothing about her.

_Veronica._

He's worried and angry at the same time. He sighs.

_You can’t leave without giving me answers._

He remains in the same position for about 30 minutes, staring at the little girl, questions bursting in his head. Reggie eventually checked on him and asked him if he needed anything but he dismissed him roughly. He knows he’s acting like a brat but he can’t help it. It was his defense mechanism every time he was terrified.

He remembers that one time he rudely tried to push Veronica away when the Black Hood shot his father.

“ _I am sorry, but I am not going. Archie, you shouldn’t be alone right now. You’re angry and hurting, and probably terrified. I know, I am. So, go ahead. Yell at me and try to push me away, but I’m not going anywhere_. “

Archie recalls the exact words she used and it aches, it aches so badly. Nobody understood him like Veronica. Maybe that’s why he pushed her away in this parking lot. He hoped she wouldn’t go anywhere, like she said, but she did. She left.

Luna is so little in the big bed and it makes him think he doesn’t even know how old she is exactly.

Suddenly, he remembers that Veronica told him she had Luna’s birth certificate with her. The bag and the suitcase are still in the room.

 _She didn’t touch them_.

A part of him feels relieved. Maybe Jughead is right. She just went for a walk and she’ll come back with Betty and Cheryl.

He grabs the leather bag and starts searching inside. It’s mainly children clothes and a few toys but when his unzips the inner pocket he feels something rigid. When he pulls it it’s a folded glossy paper and two passports: a red one and a blue one.

Archie quickly unfolds the paper and it’s indeed his daughter birth certificate.

**Name: Luna Virginia Lodge.**

_Virginia._ As in Virginia Andrews, his grandmother. It can’t be a coincidence. Veronica didn’t just honor their deal. She also named their daughter after Archie’s grandmother.

Archie is confused.

He feels even more eager to find her.

**Date of Birth: October 29 th, 2016. **

She’s three. His daughter is three years old. She’s having her fourth birthday next month and Archie feels hopeful. He’ll get to celebrate it with her because there is no way he let _her_ disappear. 

**Place of Birth: Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.**

He was right. Veronica didn’t spend just a summer break in France with Nick St-Clair. She gave birth to their daughter thousands miles away from here. As the thought of Nick St Clair crosses his mind, Archie’s jaw automatically clenches.

**Mother’s name: Veronica Cecilia Lodge**

**Father’s name: ___________**

It’s blank. She didn’t lie. A part of him is relieved that Nick didn't take the opportunity to father his daughter. 

Actually, Veronica is right. He’ll have to fill it as soon as possible.

Then, he takes a look at the red passport and opens it. It’s Luna’s French passport.

So, she has French citizenship?

They definitely spent more than few months in France and that explains why the little girl speaks partly in French.

He unfolds the blue passport, expecting it to be Luna’s American passport but it’s not. It’s Veronica’s. 

_She didn’t leave_. She _can't_ leave. 

He sighs in relief and quickly dials Betty number but he’s immediately redirected to the voice mail.

Brows arched, he’s about to try again when he hears the sound of heels climbing the stairs.

_Veronica?_

He is rushing to the door when it opens, revealing Betty and Cheryl, followed by Reggie.

He sighs in disappointment.

“I hung up because we were already at the doorsteps” explains Betty.

“I guess you didn’t find her”.

Betty offered him an apologetic smile and Cheryl commented:

“No, we didn't. I never thought I’d have to sneak out in Riverdale High. _Again_.” And then she looked down at Archie’s hands: “What do you have here?”

Oh. Archie realized he was still holding the passports in his hand:

“That’s actually why I’ve tried to call you. I found Luna and Veronica’s passports. If she wanted to leave town, she‘d take her passport with her”

“Oh. That’s good news, Arch!” Betty smiles widely and Archie responds her with a small smirk.

_Betty is right. That’s a good sign._

“Maybe we should discuss this in the hallway, the child is sleeping and we’ll…” whispers Cheryl. But she doesn’t finish her sentence that the three of them hear a buzzing.

“Archie, is that your phone?” asks Betty.

“No. My phone is in my hand…” he waves the hand that wasn’t holding the passports.

“It’s coming from the bag.” Remarks Cheryl.

Archie turns around and the sound is indeed coming from the bag he left at the edge of the bed.

“That’s must be the one she had earlier” recalls Archie. He quickly grabs the bag and start searching inside before it wakes up his daughter.

“Check the outside pocket” suggests Betty as they are now all circling the bed. He opens the pocket he didn’t notice earlier and he finds the phone, still vibrating.

He grabs it and reads the name on the screen. He froze for half a second but then he whispers:

“Let’s get out from here.” He quickly walks out to the guest bedroom, closely followed by his friends.

“Who’s that?” asks Betty as Cheryl is softly closing the door behind them.

Archie doesn’t reply and immediately answers the phone:

“Hermosa?” asks Archie.

Betty and Cheryl exchange a surprised glance.

Hermosa was Veronica’s half sister through their father, Hiram Lodge. She magically appeared in their friend’s life few months after Hiram was released from jail. They didn’t get along and had basically no relation.

Veronica didn’t trust Hermosa who was unconditionally supportive and loyal to her father despite his shenanigans that usually involved harming Archie.

How could she be calling Veronica?

“Yes, that’s Archie Andrews” Archie was apparently confirming Hermosa’s question.

Archie kept responding to few other questions until he froze.

Betty, Cheryl and Reggie didn’t need to hear what Veronica’s sister said to understand that it was terrible.

Archie was petrified. He let the phone slip from his ear and it drops to the ground in a thud.

He was looking at Betty in front of him but it didn’t seem he was really seeing her.

“Archie, what did she say?” inquires Betty but Archie is not answering.

They never saw this look in his face. It was like their friend’s soul was slowly leaving his body.

“Did she say where V is?! Why did she run away? Answer!” yells Cheryl. She’s literally pulling the red headed boy from his t-shirt.

“Stop this Cheryl! You’re going to wake the child!” Reggie was about to stop her when Archie finally answers:

“She didn’t run away” he mutters. As Cheryl releases her grip and moves back, Archie fell on his knees for the second time of the evening, in the exact same spot.

He finally reveals in a choked voice:

_“Veronica is going to kill herself.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TADAMMM!!!
> 
> I hope you don't hate me but I can't end a chapter without some drama.  
> What did you think of the chapter?  
> I am starting to answer some mysteries around Varchie's break up and there is so much more going on !!  
> I 'll try to move faster in the story line but I can't help it. I need to give description and obviously it so hard to write in english when I never did before! I barely have the occasion to speak two words of it. 
> 
> Let me know what you think as always: comment, kudos, suggestion, correction, opinions!! It encourages me to write. 
> 
> Toodles ;)


	6. Reminiscence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Hope you’re all doing well.  
> First, I 'd like to thank the nice people who commented on my fiction. It really motivates me to have feedbacks so, I highly encourage you to tell me what you think. 
> 
> Also, I know I am very late on the update. I promised once a week at least but inspiration didn't kick in.  
> This chapter is longer than the others but it's more of a fill in to understand some things that were left out. It was very hard to write but very necessary. 
> 
> The positive point is that you'll understand better what happenned between Veronica and Archie five years ago. 
> 
> Ast the title may indicate it, this chapter is all about reminiscence and you’ll have a better insight at Varchie’s past.
> 
> If you didn't notice, I'd like to specify some informations:  
> \- Veronica (14y) arrived in Riverdale August 23rd 2013 - Sophomore year  
> \- Veronica (17y) "disapeared" June 17th, 2016 - Senior year  
> \- Luna was born October 29th, 2016 - which makes her over 3y and a half but not four yet.  
> \- Veronica (21y) came back September 4th, 2020 - Labor's day week end
> 
> \---  
> I tried to follow the show as much as possible but in my fiction Hiram gets out of jail on Senior Year and not two months after being incarcerated. Archie doesn't go to jail but still got caught in Hiram's schemes with the fights etc. 
> 
> For more, keep reading! 
> 
> Toodles ;)

_“Veronica is going to kill herself.”_

Archie hears his own words resonate in his head like the echo of a bomb explosion.

He doesn’t even know how he could have pronounced those words. They just spilled out at the same moment realization stroke him.

The conversation he just had with Veronica’s sister keeps replaying in his mind and he tries to convince himself he misunderstood Hermosa’s words.

**FEW SECONDS BEFORE**

“Veronica? Where are you? Are you alright?” immediately demands Hermosa as soon as he picks up. Archie perceives a concern he is not familiar, coming from the eldest Lodge sister. It genuinely surprises him.

_When did Hermosa start to care about Veronica and her whereabouts?_

He didn’t recall them being exactly best friends. On the contrary, Hermosa appeared in Veronica’s life in the beginning of senior year, a couple weeks after her father was released from jail. She made it clear that her spot would always be by Hiram’s side, preferably against Veronica.

It easily appeared, even to a notary oblivious Archie, that Hermosa’s spiky comments and snoopiness was a way of expressing her rooting jealousy.

In fact, she envied Veronica for being Hiram’s only legitimate princess during all these years to the extent of happily helping her father hurt Archie and Veronica’s relationship.

“Hermosa?” he tries. 

“Who’s that? Is it Archie Andrews?” Hermosa is confused for a second, certainly expecting to hear her sister’s voice.

“Yes, that’s Archie Andrews” he confirms. Archie doesn’t especially hate Hermosa, he just doesn’t trust her.

“Archie, is Veronica by your side? Is she okay? Can I speak to her?” immediately requests Hermosa. The presence of Archie with Veronica doesn’t seem to disrupt or surprise her. 

Archie tries to think of a smart answer in case Hermosa is playing a part in one of Hiram Lodge’s infamous shenanigans but he realizes he has no idea what’s going on and he hasn’t much of a choice than saying the truth. 

“No, she’s not here. She brought Luna and left about an hour ago. What happened before she came to Riverdale? She had…” Archie doesn’t get to finish his question that Hermosa interrupt him, alarmed:

“She left Luna? She _entrusted_ you with her daughter and left?” Hermosa seems even more worried.

Archie is slightly irritated by the surprising tone but he confirms, teeth gritting:

“Yes, she did. Luna is _my daughter_ too _._ How much longer did your family plan to hide her from me? ”

Once again, Hermosa ignored his questions and replies instead, stressing on every word as if he was supposed to register them:

“Listen Archie, you have to find Veronica before it’s too late. Make sure to tell her that Nicholas and I are waiting for her to come home. Daddy and Hermione are coming back on Tuesday. It’s very important to tell her these exact words. Please. Let me know when you find her.”

 _So, she’s still with Nick_ notes Archie. Why should he even try to find her? If she decided to abandon her daughter and be with her perfect little boyfriend or fiancee (the hell he didn't want to think about it), what is he supposed to do? Archie couldn’t help the bitterness that invaded him. 

“What if she doesn’t want to be found? I can’t babysitter her. ” fires back Archie but Hermosa doesn’t seem to mind his defensiveness:

“You _have_ to find her. Veronica didn’t entrust you with Luna without motives. If she came back to Riverdale, it’s…” she hesitates: “it’s to make sure her daughter will be in _safe_ hands”.

Hermosa‘s voice seems to break when she finally finishes:

“Archie, I have serious reasons to believe that she is going to harm herself. _Deadly_. You need to find her and tell...”

The phone already slipped from his hand before Hermosa gets to finish her sentence.

**BACK TO PRESENT**

He definitely heard Hermosa’s words right.

“ _She is going to harm herself. Deadly_.”

Archie wants to believe that Hermosa is lying, that she is playing him and is messing with him but the presentiment he had all along tells him she’s not.

Veronica might appear as an icy, strong, smart girl to everybody, which is partially true, but Archie knew her better than anybody else.

Something felt wrong since she appeared on his porch. Something about the shakiness of her voice, the vagueness of her explanation, the hesitation in her gait, something about her shifty apprehensive gaze when he discovered those bruises and how she urged him to call his mother was sketchy.

There was more in her reserve than a normal apprehension at the idea of affronting the father of her secret-hidden child.

As Cheryl had pointed out, Veronica was terrified of something and whatever it was, it’s driving her to commit....

The thought of it sends shiver down his spine and his heart starts to beat at an insane pace.

Archie can’t help the resurgence of the first memories he had with Veronica, seven years ago. It starts replaying in his head in fast motion.

He remembers the first time he laid eyes on Veronica, across Pop’s. He heard the chimer of the door and felt this incomprehensible, uncontrollable need to look up at the person who entered the diner. He saw her. At the second his eyes locked on the mysterious angel in black, he knew he belonged to her. He was no longer attracted to the earth but to those mystifying onyx pupils. It sure sounds cliché but the world stopped around him as she was making her way towards him, draped in her iconic black cape. She handed her hand, to introduce herself:

“Veronica Lodge”

“Archie, Andrews.”

And with an electrifying hand shake, it was like they agreed to be each other’s forever.

Archie remembers being locked up with her in Cheryl’s closet to serve one of the red Bombshell’s twisted games. He remembers how the air was suffocating because of the intoxicating smell of her divine perfume. He knew it was wrong but he couldn’t resist the call of her berry, juicy lips:

“We shouldn’t do this. We definitely shouldn’t do this”

However they did. They kissed and, as anticipated, she indeed tasted delicious.

Archie remembers the look she gave him upon her shoulder after taking care of his injured arm. How her glossy jet black waves bounced to the side and her lips curled to a playful grin when she tilted her head and confessed: “I had my seven minutes in heaven with Archie Andrews”.

Archie remembers being dazzled by Veronica walking the hallway with her Pussycats ears for the first time and eclipsing everybody else, including his at the time girlfriend.

He remembers how she tried to cheer him up at the Variety show despite the fact he acted like a complete douche: “If you freeze out there, just focus on someone that makes you feel safe”.

And she was right, like she always is, one of her smile was enough to bring him the confidence he needed.

Archie remembers how he started to believe in miracles when he saw her in her confirmation dress. How beautiful she was: a perfect association of raven haired beauty in immaculate white.

Later when they were dancing, she confessed in his embrace: “You are my beacon in the night” and he smiled silently.

But he thought that _she_ was his light in the darkness.

Archie remembers the softness of her skin under his fingers on their first late night rendez vous and how she whispered: “We had this day from the very beginning” and he couldn’t agree more.

Archie remembers the infinite depth of her eyes when she first confessed she loved him “I love you too, Archie Andrews”.

He remembers her stunning smile that could light up a room and give him hope on the darkest day, he remembers her malicious twinkling eyes that seem to see into his soul every time she’d tease him or call him “her Archiekins”, he remembers every word, touch, smile, look they exchanged that seem to revive in his head and gets him awfully dizzy like a never ending ballet…

He remembers everything he has been trying to stifle inside him for the past four years and a half:

“Us against the world”

“No one, it’s you and me”

“We are endgame”

“I really needed to see your face”

“I am not letting you go off”…

“I brought you your daughter, Archie Andrews.”

_Hell no_.

He _definitely_ can’t let that happen.

“What do you mean “Veronica is going to kill herself”?” Betty is almost screaming and her green eyes are sparkling thunderstorms.

Those who don’t know Betty Cooper as well as Archie does, would have easily mistaken her reaction for anger. But in reality, Betty was absolutely horrified.

“This is not real! Hermosa has to be playing us! She’s working for Hiram. It’s not like it was the first time…”

Betty kept speaking and speaking with no interruptions, walking back in forth in front of a frozen Archie.

“Betty, just try to slow down! “Demands Reggie, completely overwhelmed by the different reactions of his friends.

Betty seemed unstoppable, making up a whole theory to discredit Hermosa,

Cheryl was as usual preyed by her oversensitive emotions and had burst in tears but Archie had the most worrying reaction out them three.

He wasn’t speaking, nor crying, it almost was like he was lifeless, lost somewhere they couldn’t reach.

“That can be true. Maybe Hiram kidnapped her and he wants to get you in one of his trap because he’s furious that V came back” continues to blather Betty.

“If he wanted to trap me, he’d use Luna” finally says Archie in a deep voice, recovering from his muteness.

Betty looks up to him and unexpectedly Archie is standing on his feet and declares:

“We have to find her. _ASAP._ ”

Somehow, everything became clearer in his mind. He has to find her before she…

He still can’t imagine...

_Stop_. He can’t let himself think about this now that he just regained his sense.

“Betty, call Kevin and Josie. Tell them to stop looking in the stations or airport.” He pauses and takes a look at his friends. “You stay here with Luna. I am going to look for her”.

Archie’s back to reality seemed to have extirpated each of his friends from their different reactions. Cheryl was drying her tears and Betty stopped her endless speculation, although she immediately objected:

“I won’t let you go alone in this state. Veronica is my best friend, I am coming with you.”

“There is no way I stay here either. If what you’re saying is true, if she’s going to…I know better than anyone else how she must feels” enjoins Cheryl while referring to her own suicide attempt after Jason’s murder.

She however seems to stumble on the S word just as Archie did in his mind 

Both girls were looking at him straight in the eyes, clearly not waiting for his approval. They were coming and he won’t even try to discuss it.

“So, Reggie has to stay” simply replies Archie.

Archie throws a glance at his friend but he was busy speaking in the phone. He quickly hung up and informed him:

“I called Josie, they’re on their way back. I don’t know what you guys plan on doing but I don’t think you should… “

“Archie, Reggie?” interrupts Jughead’s voice from upstairs. Betty rushes quickly upstairs, closely followed by the rest of the group.

“Oh! You guys are here!” exclaims Toni who’s standing next to Jughead in the hallway.

“Jug! Toni! There is a kid sleeping in this house!” protests Betty.

“It’s a miracle that she’s not up yet” notes Cheryl.

Jughead grins apologetically towards Archie and immediately starts to explain:

“The serpents are still looking in the Southside, nobody has seen here. We came to check if everything was okay. I suppose you girls weren’t successful either”.

Before they could answer, Archie already pushed his friends from the way and was collecting his coat and keys in the kitchen.

“Archie, wait! I was actually trying to tell you that you shouldn’t wander in the street blindly…”

“Regg, Move!” Archie tries to push Reggie who’s blocking his way to the door.

“Reggie is right! Wait a minute!” repeats Betty.

“What’s happening babe?” asks Toni just as confused as Jughead.

“Hermosa, Veronica’s half-sister, called. She said Veronica is going to commit suicide. We were going to look for her” explains Cheryl in a shaky voice, tears threatening to flow again.

Cheryl’s forthright explanation gets Archie to freeze for a second before he tries again to make his way to the door.

Jughead who seemed to be taken aback at first, joins Reggie and stops Archie, hands on his shoulders:

“Reggie is right. You shouldn’t be wandering in the street of Riverdale blindly. We’re just going to lose time. Think, where can she be?”

Jughead is looking at him convincingly, his grip getting firmer.

“It has to be the place that started it all” states Cheryl.

“You mean Pop’s? We just checked Cheryl…” objects a confused Betty.

“No. The place where this five years madness started, where she suffered the most, a place that means a lot to her, where she’d want to…For me, it was Sweet Water River where I’ve last seen Jay- Jay”

“Riverdale High” let out Archie in a whisper.

“What do you mean?” asks Cheryl.

“The parking lot! It’s were you’ve last seen her!” exclaims Jughead in realization.

Archie looks up at Jughead than towards Betty who blushes furiously. Betty was the only one who knew about his version of that night and she apparently shared the details with Jughead. Archie didn’t care that much and his attention immediately was drove at a more important detail.

“But didn’t you girls check?”

Cheryl is the first to react:

“Yes, we did. It was as deserted as the toilet paper’s shelf in quarantine. You said she left this house an hour ago and we just came back from Riverdale High. If she went there we would have already find her. It’s a 15 minutes’ walk.” She shrugs: “but, we could still re-check.”

Archie sighs. It’s pointless, Cheryl’s explanation holds water.

“The Pembroke!” screams Betty and they all blench. “How could we forget about the Pembroke?”

 _Of course!_ _How could he forget about it?_

“Let’s go! Someone stays with Luna!” Archie makes his way to the door, unable to wait any longer. He doesn’t even know who’s following him when he jumps in his truck.

“Toni volunteered to stay with the kid. She knows better than I do” explains Reggie when he got in the back seat with Cheryl. Betty slides next to Archie in the passenger seat and Archie nods. Toni is obviously a better baby sitter than Reggie.

“Jug is following us with his motorcycle” informs Betty as they leave Elm Street.

They make it within five minutes to the ruins where the Pembroke was originally standing up. It was mostly because Archie was driving at a record speed, plowing all the red lights. His friends were catching their breaths, not daring to tell him to be more prudent. His jaw was clenched, his gaze focused in front of him while he was holding the steering wheel so firmly that the joints of his knuckles were white.

When they finally arrive, they authorize themselves to exhale before jumping out the car. Archie is already on the lead.

They quickly separate and wander around the abandoned site, calling Veronica’s name but no one answers.

“Did you find her?” asks Jughead. He’s running towards them, panting and holding his helmet in one arm.

“She’s not here!” screams Archie in frustration. He gives a kick in a piece of charred wood.

“We’re stupid! Why would she come here? She hated this place!” he continues. Betty swats him on the shoulder and responds:

“Maybe because it’s the most meaningful place for her! It’s where she had her biggest disappointments. It makes sense to…”

“Thank you Betty, I know that. Do I have to remember you that she’s the one who burnt this place?!”

His frustration is growing wilder and he can’t help but release it on the blonde.

“Veronica is the one who set fire to the Pembroke?” scoffs Cheryl, jaw dropped.

It was now appearing clearly that he was stupid to think that Cheryl had more information than he did. Veronica didn’t even tell her what happened that night, before she left.

“Don’t pretend to be outraged, Cheryl! As if we didn’t know you did the same thing to Thorn Hill!” Replies Jughead.

He doesn’t seem to be surprised by the new piece of information that Archie has been keeping for himself during the last years and it confirms the fact that Betty told him absolutely every detail.

Is he mad about it? Still not.

He’s glad that despite his apparent long term knowledge, Jughead has never tried to bring up the subject.

“I am not outraged, hobo! I am amazed!” corrects Cheryl.

“Will you stop it?” snubs Betty before turning to a fuming Archie “Arch, do you think we should go back to Riverdale High?”

Archie shrugs and kicks another piece of coal.

“I don’t know! I ABSOLUTELY don’t know!” he lets out.

“Andrews, will you share with the rest of us the events of that mysterious night?” asks Cheryl.

“Because clearly, there is so much you kept to yourself. What does Riverdale’s parking lot has to do with Veronica copying my Bombshell signature?”

Betty and Jughead exchange a knowing glance. The question was inevitable. There were many things that they didn’t know themselves. 

Archie is scratching his head giving a whole look at the remains of the place he used to visit daily a couple years ago.

Cheryl’s question brings him back to when it all started, or more correctly, when it all ended.

**FLASH BACK- June 17 th\- 2016- 5 pm**

Archie is laid on his bed, fixing the ceiling and trying to distract himself. He came back from school an hour ago and crashed in immediately. It’s a Friday afternoon, the last day of senior year. He should be celebrating with his friends the end of high school and furthermore, 12 years of enrollment in the national education system.

Of course, some of them will go to college like Jughead or Betty but it will be different. They won’t be kids anymore. 

Jughead is going to college in Iowa to study literature to become an accomplished writer. 

Betty is going to study law in Yale during the next four years before joining the FBI.

Kevin and Josie are going to New York together where Kevin will study law in Colombia and Josie will attend Julliard’s. 

Cheryl and Toni might go to Riverdale community college but they don’t really seem to care about getting an education. They are more preoccupied in taking care of the twins and the Maple syrup and rhum businesses.

What about him? What is he going to do now?

A week prior, everything seemed crystal clear but now, he absolutely doesn’t know. 

He should be packing his things before getting the violet dahlias he would give Ronnie tonight, at prom. They would dance and have fun with their friends before sneaking their way out of Riverdale to Toledo where Gladys Jones would have the means and the guts to hide them from Hiram until Veronica turns 18 in November.

After that, they might head to another destination or get back to Riverdale, whatever works for them.

Ronnie would certainly get an answer for the scholarship she applied for, beginning in spring semester. He could lead his father’s business from wherever they will be or he could ask Mr. Keller to keep managing it for the next 3 to five years. He might even sell it. He didn’t tell her he thought of that option because he knows she would be so against it. She‘d want him to keep his father’s legacy but Archie would do anything for them to be happily together.

He’d follow her anywhere, work on his music and he even might pursue his boxing career and go pro. It’s true that in the beginning he got caught in this Teen Fight Club that Hiram Lodge set him in to prove himself and “make his bones” but he grew liking it.

He won most of his fight and made a name in the underground boxing club: the Red Paladin.

He could keep fighting. He’d do _anything_ , as long as he is with her.

Archie rolls to the side and looks at the framed picture on his nightstand.

It’s a close-up picture of Veronica’s face. She’s so beautiful it makes his heart twirl in his chest. She’s smiling at the camera, her lips stretched widely, showing off her left dimples. The stars in her dark eyes are shinier than usual and she has a small blush on her cheeks that makes her even more pretty. 

He doesn’t deserve her. Everything about him tags him in the category: American small-town boy-next-door. From his clothing style, his little house, his dog, his grades, his calloused hands, his little knowledge of pop culture and literature to the family construction company he inherited from his father.

But Veronica Lodge, she’s destined to a brilliant future. She is made for greater things. She was accepted in Harvard and most of the Ivy Leagues universities she applied to.

She shines in everything she decides to achieve.

Talented, smart, sexy, sassy, funny, kind-hearted, successful, elegant, classy and beautiful, Veronica was worthy of the biggest opportunities. Much bigger than anything Riverdale, or he, little Archie Andrews, could ever offer her.

She’s _way_ out of his league and he is definitely not good enough for her. He knows it; her father knows it and even his own mother told him once that she was proud he found someone _like her_.

But the fact remained that, while irrevocably unworthy, he was still a young man and she was his dream girl. He savored every second he had the chance to share with her, as long as she wanted him. And despite their tumultuous life made of crimes and mysteries, the past years by her side have been the best years of his life.

To return to the present, he still know that he doesn’t deserve her but now, she knows it too.

Last week, they had their traditional cozy date night at Pop’s, eating burgers, sipping milkshakes and kissing endlessly until lips were swollen, tongues numb, cheeks flushed and mind lost. He kissed her one last time before dropping her in front of the Pembroke and she waved at him, smiling wide, before rushing inside.

A couple hours later, she called him in the middle night and he thought something bad happened to her but then, she told him that she didn’t want him anymore:

“ _Tonight, I understood that this is not what I want. This life, with you, in Riverdale it’s not for me.”_

_“What do you mean Ronnie? What’s happening? I can come over!”_

_“No don’t Archie. I want to break up.”_

_“But...what do you mean, you want to break up? what’s happening? WHY? We were just fine a couple hours ago. You want me to believe that you woke up at 1 am and thought let’s break up with Archie.”_

_“Yes. That’s what happened… Do you think it’s enough? Did you think I could live a life of Friday at Pop’s, picnics on the banks of Sweet Water River, fishing, camping and all those country mice things? “_

_“Wow. Are you nuts? This is not like you to say this…”_

_“I just figured out…”_

_“Wait! Is your Dad making you say those things? Did he learn we were planning to run away? Did he threaten you to use that damn fake video to throw me in jail? Cause if he did, I don’t freaking care. Don’t let him break us! I love you and we’ll go through everything! Okay Ronnie?”_

_“…”_

_“Do you still hear me? I won’t let you down. I am your boyfriend, we’re going to get the hell out of this wicked town. Listen to me Ronnie, I love…”_

_“No. YOU listen to me. You are nothing to me, Archie. Did you really think I would run away with you? Did you really think that will be enough, that YOU will be enough? You’re **delusional** , Archie Andrews”_

And just like that, she hung up. He tried to call her back a hundred thousand times during the whole weekend but she didn’t answer. Next Monday she was absent to school and when she finally came back on Wednesday, she was carefully avoiding him. He went to the Pembroke but her butler didn’t allow him in.

Archie never felt more frustrated. He couldn’t speak to her, couldn’t have any explanations.

Even if he was self-deprecating, he wasn’t dumb. It wasn’t like Veronica to break up over the phone, say those hurtful things and not to mention, after a perfectly fine date.

Something happened. Hiram must have threatened her and as usual, Veronica thought she could handle everything alone.

But, he won’t let her.

He’ll keep fighting, both with his knuckles and his heart.

If something happened, he’ll get at the bottom of it.

Archie quickly dresses up and drives to the Pembroke.

Surprisingly, the doorman allows him in, telling him Hiram Lodge was waiting for him in the study.

Indeed, the man in his classic black suit was standing by his desk, a glass of whiskey in the hand, staring at some scattered papers on the table. 

Archie silently came closer to the person who turned his life to hell during the past months.

“Are you healing from last fight, Archibald?” Hiram asks mockingly in his deep, low toned voice, still not facing him. He obviously sensed his presence.

“Yes, sir” replies carefully Archie. He’s silent for a moment but then can't help but question:

“I came to see Veronica, the doorman said you were waiting for me. Is there something you wanted to tell me, sir?”

“Veronica is not here.” Hiram still doesn’t bother to face Archie and it’s gets the young man equally annoyed and nervous. The man in black seems calmer than usual, almost serene, and that’s usually not good for him.

“Where is she?” dares to ask Archie. He’s feeling even more anxious. He came here to speak with his girlfriend; no, correction, his ex-girlfriend; to know what the real reason behind their break up was and he finds himself in front of the most-likely reason itself.

“She’s with Nicolas at the five seasons. They are celebrating. “

Archie is confused and angry at the same time. What is Veronica doing with an infection of a man like Nick St-Clair?

He came to town last months and planned to stay for the whole summer vacation while his parents were “working” with Veronica’s father. Archie didn’t like the young, brown haired man.

There was something off about him. He was way too drawn to the nines with his impeccably styled hair and heavy cologne. Archie didn’t like his bantering smile and sly/cocky looks.

And, he was making all this brown- nosing and over the top compliments when his was around a girl.

It certainly didn’t help that this girl was most frequently, _his_ girl.

Archie winced, thinking at the thought of Veronica being in the same place as Nick.

“They are celebrating.” Hiram finally turns towards Archie and smirks at him, waving a bunch of papers. If Mr. Lodge looks so… “Satisfied”… it’s clearly not a good sign. Archie swallows hard before asking:

“What are they celebrating?”

Hiram gets closer to Archie, still holding the papers. When he is finally a few inches away, his devilish smirk grows wider and reaches his eyes.

“They are celebrating their engagement”. Hiram slams the piece of papers against Archie’s chest.

“En… Engagement?” repeats Archie in a whisper. This can’t be real. Hiram Lodge didn’t just say that Veronica was going to marry that two penny of a gentleman.

“It’s not possible. Veronica is only 17 and she would never…” Archie whispers, processing the news.

“Of course, I am not marrying my daughter before she’s 18 and before, she finishes her education. There is no rush, they’ll get married in the next five years. This contract is just a formality! Feel free to read!”

Archie grabs the paper and quickly takes a look at it. His brain is barely registering the terms he's reading when he finally sees at the bottom of the paper, her name “Veronica Cecilia Lodge” and her signature. He wants to believe that Hiram forged the paper just to get him in one of his manipulation webs but he knows her writing. He’s always been admirative of the way she draws her V and L cursively like an expensive brand. Even her hand writing was delicate and classy.

“Veronica agreed to marry Nicolas against a good percentage of his family’s music recording studios and labels. She’ll go to Harvard next fall to study business, after spending the summer in Paris with Nicolas. When she will undoubtedly brilliantly get graduated, she’ll settle in New York where she’ll be managing Lodge Industries and the St Clair Studios.”

Archie is still looking at the piece of paper and when he finally manages to look up in Hiram Lodge’s piercing dark eyes, he’s paralyzed.

“You see, Archibald. I always told you: “You’re not good enough for my daughter, you’ll never be”. Veronica is made for greater things and she deserves to be with someone of her rank. I am glad she understood it and signed joyfully these papers. So now, I recommend you to go back at your lousy father’s construction company and do what you do best: Lift concrete!”

Archie doesn’t even react to the insult towards his father. He stays frozen for a minute before realization hits him. The papers fall from his hands. 

_It’s over_.

The phone call, the things she said, how she avoided him, the break up and everything wasn’t a part of her father’s schemes.

She really realized that she deserved better and now, he lost her for good.

He doesn’t remember how he left the Pembroke or drove back home. The only thing he knows is that next moment, he’s destroying everything in his room and Betty, who saw him furiously park, followed him inside and is trying to calm him down.

He eventually stops and burst in tears in his best friend’s arms.

_He lost her. Forever._

**END OF FLASHBACK**

When Archie finally finds the strength to speak, his voice is shaky by the overflowing emotions.

“Hiram Lodge had made up that fake proof of me killing André the night of the riot. As you know, we had planned to escape on prom night but she… dumped me the week before. That day, I came to the Pembroke to eventually try to fix things and understand how everything could have changed so suddenly but she…wasn’t here. Instead… ”

He swallows.

“Hiram was here and he told me she was…He _showed_ me proofs that…she was going to…” Archie stumbles on the words.

“That she basically chose her father and…the world that was hers before Riverdale” He decides he’s not ready to spare the details, yet.

“I showed up at prom after Betty’s insistence but I was clearly not in the mood. When I left, she was in the parking lot. She was recovered in ashes. She told me she set fire to the Pembroke and she wanted us to stick to the initial plan. She said that the whole break up thing was a set up to fool her father.”

He pauses again.

“So everything was great? Hiram obviously manipulated you! Why didn’t you guys leave?” interrogates Cheryl, brows raised and getting impatient.

“I knew she was lying to herself and just didn’t want to hurt me. I didn’t want to screw up her life so… I turned her down and left” He hastily blurts out on the last words, a part of him still feeling somehow ashamed.

For a moment, they are all silent, processing Archie’s sum up but then Cheryl declares sharply:

“You’re stupid Archie Andrews”.

The red fury is looking at him piercingly,

“I guess the raven bird mystery is not one anymore. Veronica didn’t die in the Pembroke’s fire, she set it and came to you. She didn’t leave you. YOU left her, Ginger Judas.”

Archie cringed at the word Cheryl had chosen to describe him. It was the exact words Veronica used years ago. 

“Cheryl, it’s not…” begins Betty but Cheryl interrupts her:

“No, I am not stopping. Isn’t it obvious that once again, Archie let himself got tricked by Hiram Lodge? If V said that she broke up with him to protect him that means it’s true.”

“No! You have no idea what you’re speaking about! SHE left me, SHE wanted to go with…” He doesn’t get to finish that once again, the Red Bombshell cuts him:

“Veronica has never been a materialistic, shallow, toxic rich bitch as she liked to think. You might be Archie Andrews AKA Riverdale’s teen hero but, out of us, Veronica has always been the most selfless person. She never left because she wanted to be back at her Blair Waldorf lifestyle!”

She pauses and concludes in a lower tone:

“And, whatever happened that night is happening again”.

Everybody is silent for what seems to be an eternity when surprisingly, Reggie lets out:

“It’s a long shot but I might know where she is”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it.  
> I hope you got a better insight of what happened between Archie and Veronica. 
> 
> This chapter isn't very satisfying because there is no Varchie interaction but you can easily guess that you'll get a lot more in next chapter. 
> 
> Also, I came across an instagram account with very nice AU of Varchie: @weheartvarchie . I loved the last story called Twisted games. I hope she/ he doesn't mind the publicity. 
> 
> I've also read very good fictions. If you want me to give recommendations at the end, let me know on the comment section. 
> 
> Have a very nice day/evening/night or whatever it's in your time zone!


	7. Once a Raven Bird, forever a Raven Bird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> June 17th, Veronica Lodge disapears while her home is wiped out by a mysterious fire.  
> Some think she died in the fire, others think that she turned to a Raven bird, spread her wings and flew away.  
> Horrible accident or local Legend? The raven haired beauty becomes Riverdale's Raven Bird mystery until she reappears with bigger, flabbergasting secrets.  
> But, what happened exactly this obscure summer night? Why did she go? Where did she go? 
> 
> Here are the events according to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,  
> I tried to make my best to have this chapter ready in three days. I have to admit that it didn't end out exactly how I planned. It's more detailed but I thought that Veronica deserved to tell her side of the events.
> 
> I started writing it while listening to Selena Gomez's Lose You to Love Me. I recommend you to do the same. This song fits perfectly. 
> 
> WARNING: This chapter contains references to very sensitive topics. If you feel anxious or uncomfortable with some topics, I recommand you not to read. You can always send me a message. 
> 
> As always, make sur to comment or leave kudos. It means a lot to me, otherwise I feel like I didn't succeed in captivating you. 
> 
> Again, I apologize for my grammar and writing. English is my third language and it's the first time I write anything this long in my life. 
> 
> Toodles ;)!

**_You promised the world and I fell for it_ ** **_  
I put you first and you adored it_ **

Veronica chuckled nervously. She never thought that something as silly as the song lyrics of a Selena Gomez’s song would be one of the last thing that would stuck in her mind before she’d leave this world.

But _damn_ , they had so much in common.

Besides being relatively cute Latina brunettes, they were two dummies.

Veronica also believed in that picture perfect of the American sweet boy who would never leave her. She had her own red headed prince charming and _God,_ he was Charming. He was the most beautiful human being she laid eyes on.

He said he wanted to be her soulmate, _the broad shoulder she could cry on every now and then_ , her partner, the person who’d be _good_ for her. Her _endgame_.

_Silly_.

And how could she have doubted the words that came out of those perfect lips she used to kiss and cherish every second of every day?

Of course, she will put him above anyone and everything else. 

Of course, she would fight for him and even trade her life for him.

So, when that summer night her father waited for her in his study with an ultimatum: she either gave up on her honey eyed lover or he’d immediately send the screenshot of the Pembroke lobby surveillance video showing her boyfriend covered in blood standing by the shot dead body of her driver, she didn’t think twice.

Of course, she’d break up with him if it meant saving him. She would protect him from everybody, including herself.

**_Set fires to my forest_ **

**_And you let it burn_ **

Her heart broke in hundred pieces when she had to break his. At some point, she couldn’t breathe as she was hearing the incomprehension in his voice shift to pure concern.

Her sweet lover, always making sure she was okay, always ready to jump out and join her.

She almost wanted to tell him that he was right, that she was messing up and lying and she’d never want something else than the life they had together.

And it was true. Veronica Lodge, Manhattan’s it girl, never thought that she’d be the one to happily trade a luxurious shopping week end in the Champs Elysées Avenue for a raw camping getaway in the middle of the forest.

But then Archie Andrews appeared in her life with his strong jaw line, furrowed brows, pointy white teeth, calloused hands, fluorescent hair and those perfectly imperfect details that made her heart flutter in her chest.

Veronica wanted nothing else but to escape that town and build a life with her hipster Prince Harry. She knows that he somehow felt guilty for depriving her of the normal young people experiences like graduation or starting college in fall when **_she_** was the one who put his life in danger.

It was because of _her_ mischievous father that they had to run away to protect their relationship, to protect him.

But her lover has always been like that, feeling the responsibility to carry and protect his loved one on his broad shoulders.

He was her notorious wonder boy, her kind hearted hero that encouraged her to be a better version of herself. The light he seemed to irradiate motivated her to be someone else than this shallow toxic rich bitch who left New York City.

She almost succeeded. Then, her father came back in her life, wrecking everything she has been building for the past three years.

That same father who was standing by her side and listening to the conversation he requested to be on speakers.

At the moment her blurred gaze met the dark orbits of Hiram Lodge, she knew she had to do it. She had to rip his heart out if it meant he’d be in security. She had to do it sharp and quickly before the breaks in his voice made her bravery collapse. She pressed where it ached, she pressed on his insecurities, promising herself she’d make it up.

When she hung up, the phone slipped from her hands to the ground without being able to catch it.

“Are you happy now, Daddy? I threatened to leave if you didn’t stop hurting him so you destroyed our life!” She screams before leaving the study.

She cried the whole night and the whole week end, tugged in her sheets.

She showed her ruthless father a defeated front, silently hoping that the easy over sensitiveness that was overrunning her for the past two months would help her fool him. 

She was obviously not going to give up.

She had a fire in her soul and she won’t allow her Mob Daddy or anybody else to contain it.

The next week she avoided her Red Adonis carefully, knowing that if her gaze met his, if his fingertips ran on her skin, she’d enduringly abandon herself to him. That would put him in danger and, _that_ was clearly off the table.

Instead, Veronica didn’t eat, barely slept, working like a psycho on finding out where her father hid the entire video tape surveillance showing that there was more than an Archie standing by a murdered corpse. She knew that her father would keep somewhere the film which will help her prove that her boyfriend burst in the lobby to find the dead body he tried to reanimate in vain.

In the beginning of the week, she pretended to feel once again sick and asked for a quick trip in New York. Her father didn’t ask question, believing that her break up made her want to have some time away with her mother. In reality, Veronica went to Manhattan to inspect her father’s offices in Lodge Industries and their Park Avenue Penthouse.

She thought that he would keep something as important away from her, in a secured place. Despite her efforts, she didn’t find it.

When you get rid of the hardest, remains the obvious: his study in the Pembroke.

She should have checked it first but she was afraid to be caught and burn her broken-hearted, love-sick teenager cover.

But, day after day, her father was getting more urgent, tightening the vice around her and imposing the presence of that hideous two faced monster of Nick St Psycho who assaulted Cheryl a couple weeks ago.

The promise she made her fiery red headed friend and the culpability she felt for bringing that pig among them, prevented her to expose him.

She kept her mouth shut and tried to maneuver her way in the dark path her father imprisoned her in until that damned night of June 17th, 2016.

****

**_Sang off key in my chorus_ **

**_‘Cause it wasn’t yours_ **  
  


She left school in the early hours of the afternoon, not allowing herself to enjoy what should have been an important day in her short life: the last day of Senior Year. She knew her father wouldn’t be at home before dinner. He made sure to get her dropped to school this morning, informing her that he’d leave town for the day.

She used the excuse of last minute prom-gown fitting on Mrs. Bell, her very comprehensive English teacher, to be allowed to skip the last two periods. 

She has been investigating her father’s study for an hour, rummaging through piles of papers, checking his safe-deposit box and breaking in his drawers. She didn’t bother the mess, knowing that when she’ll put her hand on the extended tape she would took off with her boyfriend before her father came back.

She was so focused on trying to crack the computer password that she didn’t hear him slipping through the door until his sneer made her jump.

“Oh Mija, did you really think I’d leave town the day you were supposed to “escape” with your …”

“Small town hick?” finished Nick St Clair with a mocking smirk, standing behind her father.

As if getting caught red-handed by her Hiram Lodge wasn’t enough, that animal was enjoying her embarrassment.

Her father explained her that despite her “very convincing acting skills”, he anticipated that she would try to outsmart him and he had her followed. He knew that she paid a surprising visit on Lodge Industries quarters and knew better than anyone else that Veronica wasn’t the resilient type. 

But despite he’s apparent assurance; she sensed that he was frightened. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so precautious and menacing.

Maybe, she was getting closer? Maybe the proof was in the computer that he couldn’t stop eyeing?

She didn’t have the time to think about it that he told her:

“I was thinking of waiting a little bit more but you didn’t let me another choice, Palomita”

Veronica didn’t understand what he was talking about until he showed her that disgusting contract. 

Hiram Lodge was certainly a ruthless, dishonest, underhanded businessman in addition to being an intimidating, manipulative father and husband but Veronica never thought he could be so cruel. 

She never thought he would go to the extent of selling his own daughter for investment shares. She never felt so grossed out. He pretended that maintaining her overall well- being and social status forced him to make this decision for her. But Veronica knew he was just trying to punish her for thinking she could outsmart him and for “choosing a boy over family”.

She froze when he switched on the computer and showed her the video tape.

“You make the choice, Mija. You can sign these papers and get a copy of the video or you can still try to run away with that boy. I wonder how long it would take the police catch him for murder and kidnapping of the minor you still are”

It’s the end.

He trapped in his web and she has no other choice than complying while she gets mummified.

Nick is scrutinizing her with his vicious smile. He enjoys watching the strong Veronica Lodge so powerless, having no other options to sign herself to him.

She feels the bile rise in his throat at this thought. She never felt so humiliated, reduced, dimed, mortified in her whole life.

Her palms are sweaty, her hands shaky and tears threaten to overflow at any minute. But, she has to stay steady, strong and proud. She won’t allow them to have the satisfaction of seeing her break in. She agrees in a whisper, asking for her prize first. When the video is secured in her Cloud, she signs the contract while reassuring herself that such a contract signed by a minor has no legal value. 

With a satisfied smile, her father suggests that she should have dinner at the Five Seasons with Nick. The suggestion sounds more like an order and the parent-pleasing veneer at her side is enthusiastically agreeing.

Veronica follows him silently, knowing that she has to keep acting like the obedient daughter until she has a plan B and Archie informed of the events.

**_I saw the signs and I ignored it_ **

**_Rose colored glasses all distorted_ **

She follows Nick in the car to the Five seasons, silently planning how Archie and her could run away from Riverdale tonight without getting followed. Obviously, they can’t stick to the original outline because if her father learnt they planned to escape he sure knows the outing.

She knows that from now on, she is closely watched. She first has to get rid of this early dinner with Nick then she’ll pretend she has to go back home to get ready for prom.

When she’ll be alone, she’ll call Archie and explain him everything. Once in prom, they could use the distraction of the music and the crowd to slip away.

She has the whole plan B programmed when they enter the hotel room. Lost in her thoughts, Veronica didn’t pay attention to the fact that Nick has asked to have the meal sent in his suite instead of eating at the Hotel’s restaurant.

She’s unplugged from her automatic steering mode when he finally speaks:

“Do you remember how we used to joke about ending up together? You called me an “outrageous flirt” while the whole Manhattan elite was guessing “will they or won’t they”. “

He lingers towards her with a flirting smile that makes her nauseous.

“I do remember, Nicolas. It was before you started roofing girl to abuse them. Not to forget about making stupid contract with my dad to buy me as a teenager bride. You’ve got the whole panoply of the human trafficker, now. That must be thrilling” She fires back sarcastically, arms crossed in her chest automatically. 

The way he moves towards her makes her uncomfortable and she wants to put as much distance as possible.

Nick gets closer and there is devilish flame in his eyes that triggers a bad feeling.

“Come on, Ronnie. Are you jealous because I had this “little flirt” with Sharon?” She knows he mistaken Cheryl’s name on purpose and she can’t help the anger boiling inside her.

“You didn’t flirt with her; you drugged her and tried to rape her. Plus, don’t use this nickname. Only Archie gets to call me like that.” She snaps.

The mocking grin on his face disappears and he takes a couple more steps towards her. Veronica’s heart is beating faster but she refuses to back off, knowing he’d think he is scaring her. Which is the case but she’d be damned if she let him know.

“There is no more Archie, _Ronnie_. You just signed a contract that makes you **my** fiancée and I won’t have my wife-to-be speaking about her ex beau”.

The expression in his face is pure rage and the charming young man is far gone. Veronica still manages to put on an unimpressed face while her hearts pounds at a frantic pace:

“Oh Nicky. Do you really think this piece of paper means something? Did you think I’d marry some filthy Sapphic pig like you?” she spits out.

Before she finishes her sentence, Nick has grabbed her arm and thrown her on the couch. She winces in pain and tries to stand back on her feet but he’s faster. Within a second he has her wrists pinned above her head with one hand and the other holding her face. She can feel his heavy breath in her neck and she’s instantly sick.

“Don’t you dare disrespect me! You always thought you were better than me but I recommend you to start showing me more appreciation”

“Let go! You’re hurting me!” she whines in pain.

“It’s too late. You owe me a proper apology” he whispers in her ear.

“And I have a couple of suggestions…”

The repugnant lascivious honeyed tone of his voice doesn’t leave much room for the imagination regarding the kind of apology he’s expecting.

Veronica is taken aback by the brutality of his behavior.

She is witnessing the emergence of the loathsome monster, hiding under the perfect son-law disguise, who has been roaming in the shadow all these years.

It makes her sick to think that before Cheryl, she always made excuses for his behavior. She blamed drugs, alcohol, social pressure, his family and his parents, not allowing herself to see that the candid young boy of her childhood is no longer.

Veronica tries to free her wrists from his grip when she feels the hand that was holding her jaw wander to her tight and starts hiking her dress. His repugnant tongue is travelling from her neck to her jaw, getting dangerously close to her lips.

Her eyes widen in shock and horror, her whole body revolts in a spasm at the unwanted contact.

“NO!” she screams as she manages to hit him with her knee. The grip on her wrists loosens and she immediately pushes him before stumbling to the door, hastily grabbing the purse she lost on the floor. She hears him swear behind her as she’s running out the room:

“Don’t bother escaping, Lodge! It’s only a postponement, you are mine!”

**Set fire to my purpose  
And I let it burn**

Veronica doesn’t stop running until she knows she put a good distance between her and the hotel room. It’s already getting dark outside when her legs finally stop responding in front of the Pembroke. She feels a tingling sensation running across her body. It’s honestly a miracle that she made it across Riverdale in high heels. The sense of impending doom prevented her to feel any pain other than the abdominal cramps.

When she finally leans against a tree, her heart is going to explode in her chest and she’s suffocating. Veronica is sweating and shaking as flash backs of what happened a couple minutes ago invade her brain.

 _He really tried to_ …

Veronica tries to breath but her throat tightens. She’s hyperventilating as realization stroke her.

_Nick assaulted her. He was willing to r…_

For the second time of the evening, bile rises in her throat and this time, she can’t stop the twitching in her stomach. An acid taste invades her mouth and she throws up on the pavement.

“Miss Veronica, are you okay? Why didn’t call me to pick you up? I thought you left with Mr. St Clair.”

That’s Smithers who saw her from across the street. He is alarmed, panicked almost terrified, he has never seen Veronica in such a state or even close to this.

He quickly reaches for her elbow and helps her stand up as the world is dancing around here. She doesn’t have the time to feel embarrassed that the old man is guiding her to the lobby. The dizziness finally stops when her butler gets her to sit in on the couch.

He hands her a glass of water but she’s shaking. Smithers bring the glass to her mouth and try to reassure her:

“Everything is going to be okay, little lady. Come on, inhale… 1, 2, 3, 4, 5… Exhale”

Will she ever manage to catch her breath? Is she going to die?

After what seems like forever, Veronica manages to breathe normally, tears start rolling on her cheeks silently.

“What happened, Miss Veronica? Are you hurt?” She’s sobbing, unable to answer.

“Did something happen to Mr. Andrews? Did your father…” Smithers is hesitant, not knowing how to finish the question but Veronica immediately stops crying.

_Her father!_

Veronica dries her tears with the back of her hands and stands up while Smithers is still holding her as if he’s afraid she’d faint. But Veronica is already rushing to the elevator.

Hiram is sipping on his rhum when she burst in his study.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were with Nicolas at…” He starts but Veronica cut him short.

“He assaulted me, Daddy. Nick assaulted me in the hotel room.”

Hiram Lodge has many flaws, might be manipulative and cold but Veronica knows that he would never allow anybody to lay a finger on his daughter. He could kill the person who’d hurt her and that’s why she kept from him most of her minor misadventures, insisting on handle it her way.

But according to the circumstances, she knows that she can’t handle it alone this time.

Surprisingly, she expects him to burst out of anger but he shots up an eyebrow and looks at her passively.

“Daddy, did you hear me? I am telling you Nick attacked me!” She screams, distraught by his lack of reaction.

“Oh. Really?” he asks with a fake concerned tone. His gaze shifts from her to the papers scattered on the table and he continue reading as if she announced him that it started raining.

Veronica starts explaining in a hurry:

“Yes! He did it to Cheryl too, a couple weeks ago. And he certainly did it a horrible amount of time before, probably right in front of my eyes. I didn’t want to tell you because Cheryl made me promise but I can’t let that happen again, Daddy. He’s a monster, an animal, a pig…” She continues on and on again but her father doesn’t seem to react either.

“Daddy! Are you listening to me?” She finally screams in frustration, hitting the table with her palms.

Hiram finally deigns to look up at her and says in the calmest tone possible:

“If you’re shenanigans are over, you can go get prepared for prom. Nicolas will escort you, as it should be.” He pauses as her eyes are getting wider in disbelief. “He’s your fiancé after all”

Veronica swallows, trying to process her father’s word. When she’s finally able to speak, her tongue is dry and she almost whispers.

“I am telling you, Nick a-s-s-a-u-l-t-e-d me. He was going to **rape** me if I didn’t…”

“Enough, Veronica” Hiram cuts her, losing his temper.

“I don’t know if you want to draw attention or if you really think I’ll believe your ridiculous attempts to break the agreement you signed an hour ago but you’re not going to get out of this like that. **Ever**.”

Veronica feels her stomach drop.

“I expected better than you than this classic _whore trap_.”

If words could physically hurt, she would be pierced by thousands daggers.

“I am saying the truth…” Veronica whisperers, tears start to flow without being able to be held back.

“Then I chose not to believe you. “ Hiram sighs, exasperated “You are dismissed, I have a dinner to attend to”

Veronica doesn’t move for a moment, mentally engraving her father’s words: _Attention. Ridiculous. Shenanigans_. _Whore trap_.

When she retreats in silence, her tears are already dried. It’s like her soul parted from her body. She jumps in the shower and meticulously scrubs her body, trying to get rid of the memory of Nick’s hand on her. She rubs even harder in a vain attempt to forget the words her father pronounced and the events of the last hours.

But it’s too late, it’s already chiseled in her mind like a fresh wound.

She gets out the shower, changes in her black dress, puts on her makeup and wears her cape. The last touch is putting the medallion Archie has gifted her in their first Christmas together. She had removed it all week so as not to draw her father’s suspicion.

When she’s back in the living room, the lights are off. The whole house is sunk in the dark. He left.

Veronica comes down to the lobby and Smithers immediately runs towards her.

“Do you feel better, Miss Veronica? Can I help you?”

She offers him a small smile and replies:

“That’s was just a little fright. Everything is perfectly fine, thank you Smithers. You have the night off. You should go grab Pop’s or watch a movie at the Bijou, they are showing Wait Until Dark starring Audrey Hepburn.”

Smithers looks confused and mumbles an objection but Veronica is already heading to the parking.

Thirty minutes later, the Pembroke entirely smells gasoline. Veronica made sure to pour an extra can all over her father’s desk, drawers and his beloved portray of her.

When the cans are finally thrown on the floor, emptied, she stands here and takes in the place. There is no regret, no hesitation, not even anger.

She has to do what has to be done.

She needs to exorcise herself from all the evil done to her in this place.

What better way to start a new life than to purify oneself with a blaze?

They say face fire with fire.

That’s what’s Veronica is thinking when she drops the candlestick on the floor, soaked in gasoline.

The fir immediately catches, all glowing flames dancing on the ground and licking the walls. 

Suddenly, the memories spent in this place come alive in the blush of the fire.

_“What I always teach you? Never lose sight of the bigger picture!”_

_“I am not the one who has lost sight, Daddy”_

_“Palomita, come see your mother’s new bejeweled egg!”_

_“Why can’t you run a legitimate business?”_

This place has always been filled with more argument than any genuine family time. Even when her father was in jail, she would be fighting with her mother.

But it got so much worst when he was finally released from prison and decided to go after her boyfriend.

_“It’s not my fault if Archie was beaten in the fight tonight. He wanted to prove himself”._

_“I am proud of you, Mija”_

_“This is your punishment. You chose that boy over blood.”_

Veronica watches the flames take over the study. She sighs in contentment, knowing that somewhere in the middle of the crackling flames the contract was burning.

_“Are you happy now, Daddy? I threatened to leave if you didn’t stop hurting him so you destroyed our life!”_

_“You make the choice, Mija”_

There is a growling satisfaction inside her when she watches the family pictures displayed on the chimney disappear in a yellow and orange fog.

_“You’ll show me respect, Mija!”_

_“I love Archie and he loves me! Can’t that be enough?”_

_“Why is it always about your visions, your plans, your decisions?”_

She thought she could outsmart him, acting all clever and malicious but she lost. She lost the love of her life, her father and maybe even her damn mind.

_“You don’t have a daughter anymore!”_

_“You’ll never accept him, won’t you?_

_“You have the power to break our family apart!”_

It’s slowly becoming difficult to breathe when the room is only smoke and flames. Veronica knows she has to leave before she’ll get trapped inside the blaze but she can’t bring herself to move.

_“I chose not to believe you”_

A window explodes and Veronica shields her face before deciding to turn on her heels. 

The contract is no longer, the entire video tape secured in her phone and her only treasure around her neck. Now she can leave, without a last look.

She has someone that is waiting for her.

She has someone that will protect her and chose to believe her. Always.

**_You got off on the hurtin'  
When it wasn't yours_ **

You won Daddy. You drove Archie and me away for good.

_“I don’t want you either. I don’t want to have anything to do with you. **Ever again**.”_

Veronica remains frozen in the parking during long minutes, maybe an hour? Whatever, it still feels like eternity.

Things weren’t supposed to happen this way. She would have found him at prom, explained him everything.

He would have sighed a relieved: “Ronnie” and automatically held her in his muscular arms.

He would have hugged her tightly as if he didn’t want to let her go.

He would have scolded her for always trying to solve the problems alone. She would have shushed him with a peck on his lips and he would have told her how horrible the past days have been without her, without being able to speak to her, to see her, to touch her, to feel her, to smell her, to be with her.

She would mock him for being a helpless romantic before admitting that she felt exactly the same.

He would have teased her back about how they finally became the heroes of the greek tragedies she so often referrers to. She would have smirked and hurry him to leave.

_“I don’t want you”_

But he too chose not to believe her.

**_  
We'd always go into it blindly_ **

_“I am sorry but I can’t let myself go there with you”_

When Veronica is standing alone after Archie left her, she remembers the night she pronounced those words in a parking like this one.

At the time, she chose to be a coward and run from her feelings. She thought that if she didn’t say the L- word she could shield herself from whatever bad a future Archie could do to her.

But then she understood that she was also shielding herself from his goodness that she craved so much.

And tonight, she won’t allow him to do the same mistake she did. She won’t allow him to walk away so easily to protect them, to protect her.

Because she knows perfectly that’s the only reason why he pushed her away. He still thinks about the lies she told him when she was just trying to protect him and he is doing the exact same thing. 

She won’t allow him to sing off-key. She’d follow him and show him that they are in sync, always been, always be.

**_You promised the world and I fell for it  
I put you first and you adored it  
Set fires to my forest  
And you let it burn  
Sang off key in my chorus  
'Cause it wasn't yours  
I saw the signs and I ignored it  
Rose colored glasses all distorted  
Set fire to my purpose  
And I let it burn  
You got off on the hurtin'  
When it wasn't yours, _ **

_  
_ They say you die twice in life.

One time when your heart stops beating

A second time when his heart starts beating for someone else

Did it ever beat for her? Was she dead from the very beginning?

The thing is that she always knew it. Somewhere, buried in her mind, she always knew that she was putting on those rose colored glasses. She always knew that they weren’t singing the same song, let alone in the same tone. She was right to think that she shouldn’t let herself go there with him.

She always knew that it was dangerous but she chose not to see it. She chose to jump right in the middle of the fire and she got burnt.

“ _You make the choice, Mija”_

I made the choice, Daddy.

****

**_We'd always go into it blindly_ **

**_I needed to lose you to find me_ **

Well, maybe this song is not fitting after all.

That’s true, she got blind.

That’s true she lost him, she sure lost him. She lost both of them, her father included.

But, she never found herself.

This song is about healing. It’s about hope and self love. This song is about learning to love yourself after losing it all.

But she hates herself; she hates herself even more than she did five years ago when she was standing in this exact same place.

Now, she is irrevocably guilty. Now, she is a monster. Now, she is a murderer.

**_This dance, it was killing me softly_ **

It started all as a soft ballet before turning to a never ending, torturous limbo.

The past four years and a half, she thought that somehow someone had save her from the dark.

She lived for Luna, she will die for Luna. 

**_And now, the chapter is closed and done._ **

It’s time to stop the twirling.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Archie, just slow down a little bit! It’s pitch black, you’re going to crash the car on a tree!”

“Don’t ask me to slow down Betty! You heard Reggie, she is going to throw herself over the Bridge!” screams back Archie. His gaze is fixed on the tortuous path in front of him as he’s accelerating, not paying attention to his friend's protest.

“I said I wasn’t sure” reminds Reggie from the back seat.

“What did she say exactly, Mantle?” asks Cheryl in attempt to divert Betty who was firmly grabbing the door handle and everything at her reach.

They shouldn’t have let Archie drive. He seemed possessed by Dominic Toretto in one of those Fast & Furious movie since they left the Pembroke.

“I asked her about her guess on the Raven Bird Mystery. If she thought that Veronica Lodge, I mean her, burnt in the fire or turned to a Raven bird as Polly said. She replied neither”

“Obviously! She looks very much alive and featherless!” cut Cheryl, rolling her eyes.

“Yes, I noticed Cheryl. But she added something about jumping out the Bridge and drowning in Sweet water River” explains Reggie.

Archie’s grip on the steering wheel tightens and Betty notes:

“If she didn’t really jump out the Bridge, why would she give this answer? She could have said that she just left Riverdale that night”

Reggie nods in approval before Cheryl points out:

“But if she really jumped out the bridge, how did she make it alive?”

“And still pregnant” finishes Archie.

They all silently agree as Archie stops the truck in a screeching tire. They run out the car and start running inside Fox Forest, followed by Jughead.

Archie on the lead, they keep running as they hear the rustle of the River getting closer. Breathless and panting, the Bridge finally appears in front of them.

His eyes are roaming in the dark for a second when he finally sees a small silhouette standing on the bridge's wooden ramps.

Somebody behind him gasp and Archie’s heart skips a beat.

He holds his breath and silently approaches on the bridge.

It’s definitely her. She’s standing back to him and he can’t see her face, only the moonlight helps him recognize her small figure.

If she noticed his presence ten feet away from her, she still doesn’t move.

The wind makes her long black coat and raven hair float and she’s standing arms opened as if she was going to fly away. 

> “Once a Raven Bird, forever a Raven Bird”

> **Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOOOOO? What do you think?  
> I know I promised more Varchie in this chapter but I started writing Veronica's POV and couldn't stop.  
> The positive point is that you'll understand most of the things that happened the day she disapeared. I only left out one event that you'll get to read in the next chapter. 
> 
> Poor Veronica needs a hug. Thinking about everything she's been through to take care of every body breaks my heart. The worst thing is that Hiram didn't believe her when she told him about Nick and he thought she was slandering him to get out this HORRIBLE contract. 
> 
> I think that Lose You To Love Me 's lyrics fits perfectly to her situation althought she didn't quite found herself. But, it's true that she also put the men in her life first and they turned their back on her. 
> 
> Instagram AU accounts suggestion: @camistruffle ( @weheartvarchie is starting a new story called tattooed hearts, it's great!)
> 
> For fictions, I am sure that you've all read the incredible works of Tuedayschildd, monicaposh/ monicasposh, kaatiekinss and the one and only INCREDIBLE andsmile with her masterpiece: Lake Michigan who kept me going, breathless, during a whole week end (I binged the 38 chapters all at once). The quality of their writings is just mind blowing for a foreigner like me. It's thanks to them that we have such great Varchie content. I wish I could master the language as well because sometimes you read a fiction and you just tell yourself: GOD! he got such great ideas, too bad the writing is ruining the whole experience.  
> That's why I invite you to correct me x)
> 
> I'll keep suggesting you what I read if you're interested. If you don't want me to mention your account, let me know. 
> 
> See you next chapter and can't wait to read your comments!


	8. I'll follow you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I am back!  
> It took me more than a week to update this fiction and I have to admit that beside finishing my exams this afternoon, this chapter was extremely hard to write.  
> It's an important chapter and I was afraid to miss the emotional turn. I hope I'll succeed to touch you and you'll still be around to stick with this story!  
> Even if I took a lot more time than planned, this chapter is also the longest I ever posted! 
> 
> Warning: This chapter deals with suicide. If you don't feel comfortable reading this, don't. If you chose to, I am always available to answer your question and speak about it. All love. 
> 
> Thank you for all your comments and kudos, its really encouraging me to write and update!  
> A special thanks to Callie and amcthystlodge for being so supportive ! 
> 
> I give recommendations about what kind of Varchie content I read in the end if you're interested. It can be instagram AU accounts or fictions etc. 
> 
> I hope you'll like this chapter! ;)

**_It's not true_ _  
Tell me I've been lied to  
Crying isn't like you_**

**_-Billie Eilish, I love you_ **

“Veronica” 

He didn’t mean to whisper out loud but it’s blurted out of his mouth as soon as he realized that it was indeed her, standing on the wooden guardrail of a _freaking_ bridge.

The same bridge he had been with Betty to confront Mr. Svenson, who they believed to be the Black Hood, what seems to be thousand Christmas Eves ago.

The same bridge he clearly remembered to be at least twenty five feet above the rocky, freezing, tumultuous torrent of Sweet water River.

The same bridge Veronica could slip from at any seconds.

The way her chin slightly moves to her left informed him that she heard him pronounce her name. She doesn’t fully turn nor do anything else to acknowledge his presence.

Archie’s gaze quickly travels to her feet. She’s miraculously standing straight on the log of wood that serves as a guardrail, in those heel boots Cheryl mentioned earlier.

The edge is dangerously short and certainly slippery since it stopped raining a couple hours ago. The way her legs are shaking is making his heart jump against his ribcage.

“Please, don’t do this!” he breathes out. It’s like somebody has just placed a mountain over his chest, sucking out all the air and leaving him suffocating.

Hermosa didn’t lie. She is really willing _to harm herself, deadly_. 

Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he hoped that Betty was right. He hoped that Hermosa was either playing him or that she was overreacting. Whatever happened with Veronica couldn’t actually drive her to commit suicide.

**_Up all night on another red eye  
I wish we never learned to fly_ **

Archie is not stupid. He knows that Veronica can have her downs, pretty bad ones too, and he’s even sure that her father is somehow involved. But Veronica always managed to fix her problems and make everything work under insane circumstances. It was her special power.

It used to make him both impressed and frustrated to see her strive alone against all kinds of adversity. She’d never let him help her like he wanted to.

If he was angry and terrified when he learned that she was potentially running away from something horrible, it’s nothing compared to the ulceration in his chest.

What kind of terrible things drove her to this situation?

Was Cheryl right when she said that whatever happened in the past was happening again?

_Damn,_ did she really jump out this bridge five years ago?

**_Maybe we should just try  
To tell ourselves a good lie  
I didn't mean to make you cry_ **

“V, please come down. Please, don’t do this. Please, V!”Betty’s begging roots him out of his thoughts. He didn’t hear his friends joining him on the bridge but Betty’s voice is coming right behind him. Her voice is shaky and full of tears and Jughead is holding her by her shoulders like she’s going to faint at any moment.

“You don’t have to do this! Get down and we’re going to discuss it!”

Cheryl sounds just as desperate as Betty but Veronica still doesn’t react.

It’s so dark that Archie is afraid that if he blinks, the small silhouette in front of him will disappear. It’s moves something inside him and he carefully gets closer.

He has to do or say something.

“Please Veronica, don’t do this!” he implores.

Almost like she could sense how close he’s getting, she seems startled and her feet shifts slightly. 

_Fuck you Michael Kors!_

They all gasp when she loses balance for a second.

“Back off” she murmurs. The tone of her voice is low but threatening. Archie automatically takes a step back, horrified she’ll jump if he doesn’t do as told.

“Don’t do this, Veronica. Please, come down.”

She doesn’t answer. Behind him, their friends are also imploring her but it’s like she doesn’t hear them.

Archie holds his breath, a string of cold sweat running down his spine. He can’t keep his eyes off her silhouette.

She’s standing back to them, her long Black coat and dark hair are flying in the wind and her arms are open horizontally to her body. Veronica’s chin is up and her whole posture is projected to the front.

It‘s like she’s asking the wind to carry her.

It’s like she was spreading her wings to fly.

It hits him.

The Raven bird mystery wasn’t just another one of Polly Cooper’s ravings but a metaphor to what she certainly witnessed.

_Does it mean she really stood in this place five years ago? Did he have anything to do with it?_

He can’t think about that right now.

The only thing he needs to focus on is that Veronica is not a raven bird. She doesn’t have wings. If she jumps, she won’t be able to fly away.

If she jumps, she’ll certainly break against the rocks of the river and drown in the freezing water.

If she jumps, he will lose her forever.

He lost her once but he lived with the knowledge that she was somewhere with her family and fiancé, safe, sound and most certainly happy. 

Now, it’s clearly appearing that he was totally wrong. Wherever and whoever she was with, she got hurt. She got hurt both physically and emotionally.

She got hurt to the extent of having an arm covered in bruises and wounds.

She got hurt to the extent of committing such a reckless, hopeless move.

Clenched jaw and fist, Archie realizes that he failed to protect her.

“Veronica, listen to me. We’ve all spent the last five years wondering where you were, if you were safe, why you left without saying goodbye, why didn’t you give any explanations and we’ve tried everything to find you but you just vanished without saying anything!”

Cheryl is crying and Archie wonders for half a second how she can form coherent sentences when his mouth is dry and his brain frozen.

“Today, when I received a call from you I was so happy; I didn’t have it in me to think about being angry with you. I was just happy and relieved to know you were alive and back! I know something awful must have happened back in New York but please don’t do this!”

The red headed girl chokes on the last words and Reggie is holding her by the elbow as she sobs, her whole body shaking.

“Cheryl is right! V, don’t do this! Please! You don’t have to do this! Whatever it is, we’ll figure out together” enjoins Betty.

“You don’t understand…“murmurs the girl on the cliff, her voice seems as foreign as her. She seems so distant.

Although, her mutter reveals that she’s somehow listening to them and it encourages Betty to pursue:

“So, help us understand. We’re all here for you. Just look at us: Archie, Jughead, Cheryl, Reggie and I are here for you. Come down and we’ll speak.”

“Betty is right. We’re all here for you, Veronica. Kevin, the Serpents, everybody is worried to death about you. Let us help you” adds Jughead

Veronica doesn’t respond nor seem to react.

Beyond the knots of guild in his throat, Archie finds back his voice and can’t help but implore:

“Please, come down. You don’t have to...”

He pauses and when he speaks again he sounds more resentful than he aimed to:

“You can’t do this! You can’t choose to leave! Not again!”

Blaming might not be the smartest thing to do but unpredictably, his frustration seems to have awoken something in her. She snaps her head towards him and he finally meets her dark orbs.

There are strings of tears on her cheeks but her eyes are dry and frighteningly cold.

The breeze is blowing in her silky hair and despite the strands flying in front of her face, she still manages to glance straight into his eyes. Straight into his soul.

He doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to forget the look she gave him at this moment.

Her lips part and she finally speaks:

“Why do **_you_** care, Archie?”

It gets him confused for a second but then, he immediately replies:

“What do you mean “ _why do I care_ ”? _You_ know I care, always did, always will!”

She considers his words for less than a second before firing back:

“Aren’t you the one who didn’t want to have anything to do with me, **ever again**?”

Archie is electrocuted by the words he recalls being his and before he can think of an answer, she adds:

“See this as a last favor.”

Her voice is sharp and stern, like an arrow. Archie swallows the lamp of guilt in his throat and takes in the hardness of her expression.

When he speaks again, his voice is husky:

“You can’t be serious, Veronica. You know I didn’t mean it like that. You know I didn’t mean it _at all_!” He stresses the last words.

She chuckles nervously before answering:

“Too bad, it doesn’t matter anymore.”

She turns back her head and he can’t see her face anymore. He can’t help but take a step closer and yell:

“Veronica, are you nuts? Stop this and just come down!”

She doesn’t answer, back in this place they can’t seem to reach. 

“If you are in trouble, we’ll help you! “

Unlike him, Jughead is much more conciliatory. This is certainly the smartest thing to do if fear wasn’t messing with his common sense.

“We’ll figure a way out together, like we always did! Remember B&V together against the world!” tries Betty with a little smile. 

It’s like she wants to hit a soft spot in Veronica by bringing old memories but the raven haired girl mutters back:

“There is no way out of it.”

The anger in her voice is no longer. She sounds so wretched that Archie knows that she’s certainly telling the truth. His heart tightens in his chest.

The wind is blowing stronger, making the leaves of Fox Forest trees tremble in a shudder. It’s certainly freezing and he would shiver if he could actually feel anything but terror pounding inside him.

“There is always a way out. There is always a second chance! You learned me that” cries out Cheryl. She remembers how Veronica helped her out of the dark place she shut herself after Jay-Jay’s death. She saw the unloved daughter, abandoned sister and lonely girl beyond the HBIC front that she displayed. Cheryl and Veronica had a lot in common.

“Whatever happened back in New York or in Paris, I’ll help you take care of it. We’ll all help take care of it.” Archie wants to sound confident and hopeful but he can’t help the shaking of his voice.

Veronica doesn’t seem to catch the fact he mentioned Paris and she just shakes her head vehemently.

Behind him, Jughead, Cheryl, Betty and Reggie keep begging her to come down, more desperate and promising.

From time to time, thunders groan, announcing an upcoming storm. 

Nobody seems to catch on that the runoff of water and the rustling of the leaves are getting louder or that the air is getting colder when Veronica finally speaks again:

“It’s too late, Archie”

Her voice is soft. She sounds so weak, so resigned, so final. Archie thinks that his heart stopped beating at this moment and they all hold their breaths.

It’s like whatever they’ll say won’t make her change her mind. Unexpectedly, a drop of rain falls and immediately followed by another. Soon rain is pouring heavily.

It’s the second time of the evening.

It started raining when she entered back his life, standing in his porch in what seems to be a hundred years ago, informing him that they had a daughter.

It starts raining again when she’s about to leave his life, standing in the edge of a bridge.

If the whole situation wasn’t so dreadful, it would almost be comical how the weather seemed to match the mood.

Veronica throws her head back and Archie can see a glimpse of her face, bathed in the faint light of a thunderbolt.

Rain is running down her face and her eyes are closed in a strangely soothed expression.

He knows that she doesn’t hear them anymore. She’s already slipping way too far.

Nothing else matters. It’s like the world around is vanishing, the supplications of his friends in the background and the sounds of the storm fades.

The rain that blurs his vision and soaks his clothes to his skin doesn’t matter anymore.

The only thing he feels is that gravity is calling him to its center, to the small silhouette draped in black. The attraction is getting heavier.

The only thing he can hear is her faint unsteady breath.

The only thing he can see is this face: those closed eyelids framed by dark eyelashes, this golden skin bleached by the moonlight, lips smudged in a berry lipstick and this dripping wet river of raven locks.

Nothing, no one else matters. No one else ever mattered.

And it’s even more terrifying that in the most desperate, awful and extruding moment, she’s still the most beautiful thing he has ever seen. A vision.

She is stretching her arms upper. It’s like she’s spreading her wings, ready to fly.

If he doesn’t do or say anything, he will lose her. Forever.

“What am I going to tell her?” He screams with a rage he doesn’t recognize.

It startles her and she opens her eyes.

“What am I going to tell Luna? What am I going to tell _our_ daughter?”

There is a shadow of a poor smile that passes in her face when she hears him call her child _their_ daughter. It’s already made her heart flip in her chest when she heard him claim Luna as _his_ daughter but it’s nothing comparing to that. It’s _their_ daughter. 

It brings her a ridiculous feeling of comfort considering what she’s going to do.

“No matter what deep seeded issues we have, no matter what happened between us, no matter what happened to you, you have _our_ daughter. “

Archie is not screaming anymore, he is not pleading either. There is something so solemn burning in his eyes.

“You might hate me” He pauses and swallows the lump in his throat.

“You might not hear what I am trying to tell you. You might not care about anything else…but what about her? What about Luna?”

She turns her head towards him and Archie is not quite sure if it’s a rain drop or a tear that’s rolling in her cheek but he keeps going:

“What am I going to tell our daughter? Am I going to tell her that her mother gave up on her?”

She sniffs and now, he knows she’s definitely crying.

“I learned her existence a couple hours ago but I already know she’s the best thing that ever happened to me. She’s the purest, cutest, most beautiful and precious little thing.”

He stops again and remembers the very few memories he has of their daughter and he can’t help but smile wistfully.

“She called me Daddy, you know?” he says proudly.

Tears are still running in her face and she gasps for air. He is not sure if it’s the cold, the tears or the heavy rain that falls on her but she’s shaking and it’s hastens him to pursue:

“It was like the whole world stopped. I don’t think I ever heard something more…delightful”

He chuckles.

“You see? I, Archie Andrews, used the kind of words only Jughead would. I am really speaking like a dad. ”

In the background, somebody, certainly Jughead himself, is sneering but it doesn’t distract him.

“Didn’t you feel the same thing when she called you Mommy for the first time? How old was she?”

His voice is soft and low. There is not resent, no anger, no rage, not even despair. He’s genuinely curious:

“Thirteen months” she mumbles, voice chocked in tears.

He nods, still smiling. He wants to ask her how he is supposed to catch up on his daughter life if she’s not here to help him but he doesn’t.

Instead, he carefully takes a couple steps closer and stops like he recalled something.

“And when she smiled to me, it was like … wow.”

Archie is lost in words. He smiles instead, the same boyish grin that makes butterflies flutter inside her.

“She has that smile that could lighten up the darkest days and just leave you…awestruck”

His gaze softens and he whispers very low, not even sure she could hear him in the midst of the storm:

“She has your smile, Veronica”

She doesn’t want to show him that he shot a bullet right in the middle of the chest and that her face is bathed in tears so she turns back her head, contemplating whatever dark landscape is unfolding before her eyes.

Archie doesn’t give up.

“What if she doesn’t smile again?”

The anger inside him bubbles up again:

“How can you just give up on her? How can you just _abandon_ her?”

Her head snaps towards him and his heart miss a beat when he sees her lose balance.

“I am not abandoning my daughter!” Her scream comes for the bottom of her heart and seem to shut the tempest around.

“Do you think I have another option? I have to do this! I crossed the point of no return! I can’t fix it even if I wanted!” she chokes on her words.

Her eyes are quickly filling and there is a pain in her words that itches him to take the two steps that separate them to wrap her in his arms and never let her go. But he knows that if he takes one more step, she’ll back off and it will be over.

Instead, he asks as softly as possible:

“Veronica, what happened? We’ll help you!”

She shakes her head stubbornly like they’ll never convince her. She’s back thousands miles away from them. 

The rain stops as abruptly as it started.

For a second, it’s only silence but then, unexpectedly Veronica breathes out:

“Please take good care of our little girl, Archie Andrews”

She turns back, closes her eyes and breathes in. That’s it. 

The tale is over. She’s about to fly away and bring with her the souvenir of phosphorescent hair and honey brown eyes. The souvenir of the two persons she loved the most: Luna & Archie.

She breathes out, ready to let her feet slip from the guard rail when a gasping followed by a scream stop her dead on her track.

“Archie!”

She quickly opens her eyes and tilts her head to see, on the corner of her eyes, that Archie is standing beside her, on the guardrail.

Veronica gasps, eyes widen in chock.

“Archie ! Veronica! Just come down!” yells Cheryl while Reggie and Jughead are trying to hold her and Betty back.

“Arch, did you forget you have a daughter? Just get down!” screams Jughead

“Are you both crazy?”

“Come on! Stop this”

Withdrawing when Archie was trying to convince Veronica to find reason seemed as the best option until Archie’s reckless move.

They keep imploring them to get down but it’s like Archie and Veronica don’t hear them.

**_Don't you know I'm no good for you?_ **

**_I've learned to lose you, can't afford to  
Tore my shirt to stop you bleedin'  
But nothin' ever stops you leavin'_ **

  * **_Billie Eilish, When the party ‘s over_**



They are looking at each other like nothing else and no one else surrounds them.

After all, hasn’t it always been just the two of them, on a cliff?

“Why are you doing this Archie?” whispers Veronica. He doesn’t answer immediately, studying her face. She looks confused, angry but also scared.

“Why are you doing this, Veronica?” he mimics. She doesn’t reply, tears rolling on her cheeks.

“Why are you choosing to _ditch_ our daughter?” He persists, tone low but firm.

A chill wind blew her hair back from her forehead and something in her gaze shifts. She looks as equally offended as she was when he first accused her of abandoning her child.

“I already told you, I didn’t _abandon_ my daughter! I entrusted her with her father! I am entrusting her with _you_!”

He is still studying her expression, brows furrowed.

“I asked you if you’d take care of her, you said you will. Did you change your mind?” she narrows her eyes in suspicion. Archie doesn’t answer.

He knows what she’s trying to do. She’s trying to distract him from the real question.

“Get down, Archie!” she orders furiously. 

In the background, their friends are still urging them to step down.

“What was your plan after that? Jump from a bridge and drown in Sweet water River? And whatever the problem is, it will lay with you at the bottom of the river?” Archie sums up sarcastically.

“Yes! That was my plan! That’s still the plan!” she blurts out in rage. “Just get down!”

She sounds frustrated and scared, unlocking eyes every now and then to take a look at his trembling feet. She doesn’t seem very steady herself, the raging storm definitely not helping.

“If you don’t get down, I won’t.” He assures in an oddly calm voice.

“What do you mean? Why are you doing this, Archie?” Veronica is still screaming but Archie fires back almost immediately:

“Why are YOU doing this, Veronica?”

She doesn’t answer and Archie opens his arms, mimicking Veronica’s position. Their fingers are almost touching and she knows that if she leans a little bit, they could intertwine.

**_But nothin' is better sometimes  
Once we've both said our goodbyes_ **

In the back, thunders are still roaring now and then, the rain starting to pour again.

**_Let's just let it go  
Let me let you go_ **

Their friends look beaten down, faced with their inability to disarm the situation. Having only the strength of their voice, they keep imploring them relentlessly to stop the madness the whole thing turned out to.

After a moment, Archie asks in a sarcastic tone which is even more frightening.

“Do you want us to make the Angel’s jump at the same time? One, two…”

“Archie, stop this! Get down!” commands Veronica. But Archie ignores her and keeps up:

“Come on, let’s do it Veronica!” enjoins Archie. He tilts his head to the void and Veronica gasps.

“Archie, _please_ get down!”

She‘s not requiring anymore, she’s begging. Her voice breaks into sobs when she asks: “Why are you doing this?”

He doesn’t seem to catch on her pleads and reaffirms.

“No, you’re right! Let’s die together!”

“Please, get down!” she implores once again.

Suddenly, the storm dies and it’s only silence until Archie speaks:

“We couldn’t live together, let’s at least die together!”

Veronica shakes her head and mumbles: “It’s over for me anyways but you don’t have to do this…”

Once again he ignores her protest.

“No, you’re right! Let’s die together! Jughead, Betty, Cheryl and Reggie will tell Luna that her parents both gave up on her! I am sure Cheryl would like to take care of her, she’ll be like a little triplet to Juniper and Dagwood “

“You don’t have to do this” she whines. Veronica never looked so far from the always put together, confident, strong girl.

Without notice, Archie gaze softens and he looks at her with pleading eyes:

“You don’t have to it, either”

She sniffs and shakes her head before confessing in a whisper:

“You don’t understand Archie. I already fell, I already lost balance!”

Veronica’s voice breaks towards the end. She sounds so desperate and powerless that Archie feels his heart crackle a little more in his chest.

He does believe her when she says she lost her balance. Veronica never appeared so fragile, so weak, and so hopeless. But there is no way he’ll let her go.

She closes her eyes and takes a breath to refrain the sob in her throat.

There is a strange silence punctuated by the murmur of the wind and the lapping of the light rain.  
Veronica knows that Archie is still looking at her. She can feel his intense gaze on her and when she finally opens back her eyes, there is no hardness left.

Summer night sky orbs meet liquid gold pupils and hang on them like a lifebuoy.

His pupils are shinning with a new set of emotions: hope, sincerity, encouragement and goodness. This goodness he’s filled with, this goodness that once saved her. 

If she wasn’t sure it wasn’t possible, she’d believe that his goodness could still save her.

Suddenly, Archie leans slightly and Veronica automatically holds her breath when his fingers touch hers. Her skin is covered with goose bumps and she knows he felt it too, that familiar electric bolt running through their bodies from the tip of their fingers to their pounding hearts.

When he finally speaks, his voice is soft, confident and so earnest that it aches. 

“Listen, if you lose balance, I‘ll be here. I always be here, ready to catch your hand and help you stand back on your feet.”

His fingers intertwine with hers and she does nothing against it. She’s frozen, unable to keep her eyes of his beautiful gleaming golden eyes.

Veronica feels something trip inside her as she hears herself ask faintly:

“What if you can’t catch me, Archie? What if I fall?”

For a second, its complete silence and Veronica feels Archie’s fingers slip from hers. That’s it, she thinks. He is going to let her go. He is going to give up on her, **again**.

Without notice, Archie takes a careful step to his left. He doesn’t get down, he goes towards her. He slides his fingers further more in her palm and his lips break in a bright smile.

He answers without a slight hesitation in his voice:

“ _If you stumble, I‘ll catch you. If you fall, I‘ll follow you_. “

With a little nod and an encouraging gaze, he points out to the hand he’s reaching out, silently waiting for hers to interlock. Veronica doesn’t answer.

She feels her last reserves surrender when she leans to fully reach the hand he’s extending. Archie is smiling cheerfully at her and she’s just about to tighten her grip when a thunder rumbles and startles her. Her foot slips and she loses balance.

In the downpour, a scream tears the silence of the night.

“NOOOOOOOOO! “

Right after, the muffled bang of something heavy falling make the four spectators of the tragic scene open their eyes.

They all gasp in relief.

Somehow, Archie pulled Veronica before she felt in the void, throwing himself back on the bridge. He ended up falling on his back, Veronica on top of him.

“Are you hurt?” manages to mumble Archie. In his fall, he hit his head hard against the ground, making his breath shorten.

He couldn’t care less about the pain when he knows that Veronica is in his arms, alive. 

But, she doesn’t answer and he doesn’t have the time to pick his head up when he feels her bursting in tears in his arms.

Next second, Cheryl, Betty, Jughead and Reggie are surrounding them.

“Veronica, Archie are you okay?”

Archie doesn’t have the time to realize what’s happening exactly when he feels Veronica’s weight lifted from his chest. Immediately after, Jughead and Reggie help him bent on his knees. Then, he sees that Betty and Cheryl have pulled Veronica in a hug, crying all the tears they have.

“Oh Arch!” whimpers Betty, pulling him in their embrace, Veronica in the middle of them.

Archie doesn’t cry, doesn’t speak, doesn’t respond to the arms that are pulling him from both sides.

Archie doesn’t hear Betty’s worried voice scold him about how unconscious he behaved.

Archie doesn’t hear Jughead tell him how proud of him and relieved he is.

Archie doesn’t hear the roaring of the storm.

Archie doesn’t feel Reggie pats him on the back.

He doesn’t feel the stabbing pain on the back of his skull.

He doesn’t feel the rain pouring at them, their drenched clothes sticking to their skin or the cold breeze. 

He feels nothing else than Veronica’s back leaned on him. 

The realization of what could have happened a couple seconds ago hits him in the guts.

After a moment, Betty and Cheryl’s grip loosens and Archie turns Veronica towards him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. She’s sobbing, her whole body shaking in his arms and finally, his own tears start flowing on his cheeks.

“Everything is going to be okay. I told you, I‘ll catch you. Always.” He whispers against her hair

Veronica doesn’t seem convinced. She's mumbling, again and again, that it’s too late.

But Archie doesn’t let go, repeating her endlessly that he is here and everything will be just fine.

He feels her respond to his embrace, holding him back tightly, and this is the only answer he really needed.

She is in his arms, alive. He’ll show her that everything is indeed going to be better. He’ll never let her get hurt again, **never** again. 

Archie knows that they just witnessed a miracle.

But didn’t he already know that everything about Veronica Lodge is miraculous?

The point is that life is giving him a second chance and he is not going to let it go. He is not going to let _her_ go.

When he feels that she finally stopped crying, he mutters in her hair:

“Everything is going to be okay. We’ll all here for you. You have me. You have our daughter. You have Betty, Cheryl, Jughead, Kev…”

“Don’t forget about your noisy annoying travel buddy!” exclaims Reggie. They all giggle and Veronica sniffles, still buried in his embrace.

“Yes, you have that hunk too “chuckles Archie. “You know he’s the one who helped us find you!” Archie mouths a "Thank you" towards Reggie who nods, smiling wide.

Then, Archie remembers how they got there in the first place:

“I never thought I’d be thankful for Hermosa in my life!” he jokes.

Veronica suddenly looks up to him and immediately asks:

“Hermosa?”

Her brows travel her hairline, inquisitive.

“Yes, Hermosa called. You left your phone in the bag and I answered. She told me that you were…what you were going to do.”

Archie stammers, unsure if it’s a good idea to be crude about what she was aiming to do. Veronica doesn’t seem to remark his stutter. Her dark pupils are still fixed on him, waiting for him to pursue his explanation.

“She sounded genuinely concerned. She told me to ask you to call her back. She said something about your parents being away for a couple days and”

He hesitates for a second, not knowing if it’s the right moment to mention it considering that he don’t know much about the whole situation. Then, he remembers that Hermosa insisted that he should tell her these exact same words when he’ll find her.

She’s still looking at him with a strange bewildered expression on her face, drinking every word coming from his mouth. He swallows and blurts out:

“And that Nick was worried about you and waiting for you”

He winces at the last part but whatever he said lights up her eyes, her breath becomes unsteady, her eyes wide and she slowly repeats:

“Did she say that Nick _was_ worried about me?”

He nods and behind him Cheryl mumbles something about that staph infection of Nick St Psycho but that isn’t what catches his attention. Veronica’s lips stretch in a big smile and she sighs in relief.

Archie feels his heart breaks in two all again. Suddenly, he can feel the cold. He is freezing in his soaked clothes and the wind is sharp against his face.

He was so stupid.

Of course, she’d be happy to know that her fiancé cared about her. He even thought that Nick was the one who hurt her, the one she could be running from.

For a moment, when he held her in his arms he thought that maybe after all, they still had a chance together. He believed his own words when he told her that everything will be okay and they could fix whatever issues they had.

The look on her face is clearly screaming that he’s an idiot.

“ _You’re delusional, Archie Andrews”_

Archie swallows the lump in his throat and force himself to keep a blank expression. Now is not the time to make a scene. He has to focus on the fact that she’s alive and safe.

The thought of losing her, _really losing her_ , struck something deep within his soul. Something he had buried three years ago inside layers he built to be able to just keep going.

“Let’s go!” he breathes out while helping her stand up with him. Before he could release her elbows he feels her slip in his hands and he catches her before she hit the ground.

Veronica passed out.

\---------------------------------------------------

It’s past 4 am when the truck parks in Elm Street. Very faintly, the daylight is broking over the darkness of the night, coloring the sky in a lighter shade of blue and grey.

Archie sighs, hands still on the steering wheel.

“How is she doing Betts? Are you sure, we shouldn't be going to the hospital instead?”

He gives a look in the mirror. Veronica is lying between Betty and Cheryl, head resting on the blonde girl’s lap. Betty is stroking her silky hair away of her pale face. Her lips turned to a worrying shade of blue.

“She just passed out from exhaustion and emotions” answers Betty, wrapping Veronica in an affectionate gaze.

“Not to forget about the freezing cold. The first person who feels the symptoms of pneumonia gets quarantined. I don’t need to have the kids catch this again“retorts Cheryl scathingly. The red headed beauty is squeezing the brunette’s hands as if she was hopelessly trying to warm her.

“Only you can be threatening in such a moment” teases Reggie, sitting in the passenger seat. 

Archie sighs and Betty seems to catch his annoyance and worry as she reassures him: 

“Don’t worry Arch, she’ll be fine” She pauses. “At least physically”

Archie nods and gets out of the car. He opens Betty’s door and Reggie proposes to carry Veronica inside but Archie dismisses him with a look.

When he held her in his arms, bridal style, Archie is surprised to note that she’s even lighter than in his memories. It’s confirms his initial impression of her being skinnier.

Archie is contemplating her soothed face as if he could find the answers to the too many questions bubbling inside him and before he could make up any other torturing theories, Cheryl is holding him the door open.

When they get inside, the lights are on and before Archie could climb the first stair he hears:

“Mommy!”

That’s Luna’s voice!

Archie automatically turns around to see that his daughter, who was apparently in the living room, running towards him. She stops right in front of him, Kevin and Toni following her. 

“Mommy!” She repeats when she notices Veronica in Archie’s arms and he can sense the worry in his daughter’s voice. It makes something tighten in his chest.

“She woke up and we couldn’t get her back to sleep” explains Toni.

“She cried a lot” adds Kevin with an uncomfortable wince and Archie just then notice the little strings of tears on her cheeks. He leans a little bit towards the little girl who’s now looking up at him and he feels overwhelmed by those big innocent eyes. He takes a breath and proceeds to explain in a choked voice:

“Hey Luna! Listen, we went in a little car ride with Mommy and she fell asleep. We’ll put her to bed and tomorrow she’ll be up, okay?”

He’s not sure if he’s saying the right thing. How is he supposed to explain to a four years old why her mother is unconscious in the arms of a father she met a couple hours ago? Not to mention the fact she had to wake up to a house full of strangers.

But, Luna keeps looking at him with the same worried eyes and unexpectedly, she extends her little hand and starts caressing Veronica’s cheek. Archie feels all sorts of emotions stroke him when the little girl tiptoes to gently kiss her mother’s cheek.

“Bonne nuit, Mommy” (Good night) she whispers before smiling at Archie who can’t help but smile back. She’s definitely the most adorable little girl in the world.

Betty and Cheryl are contemplating fondly at the scene when Archie gestures them to follow him upstairs. 

“I am going to bring towels and clothes, I… I’ll let you…take her clothes off” he mutters after getting Veronica laid on the guest room’s bed. Cheryl kinks a puzzled eyebrow at his embarrassment and Archie knows she’s right to be surprised. It’s not like he hadn’t see Veronica naked a couple hundred times but it just doesn’t feel right. Not when she’s unconscious, not when they are not together, not when she’s engaged to someone else. 

Before Cheryl makes a comment, Archie goes to his room to grab a towel, one of his smallest tracksuits and an old T-shirt Veronica used to steal when she’d sleep at his house.

When he knocks at the door, asking if he could enter, Cheryl doesn’t miss the shoot:

“Andrews, are you really going to play pharisaic? You made a kid with her, you’ve seen more than we did. Besides we’re not here for a peep show… ”

“Pha...what?” asks Archie while slowly opening the door.

“Just come in “answers Betty and he feels something wrong about her tone. “You have to see this…”

Archie gets closer to the bed. The girls have only removed Veronica’s coat and shoes and he can see her bare arms in her sleeveless sweater.

“Who did that?” asks Betty in a choked voice, referring to the purple bruises covering Veronica’s wrists and her right forearm. Archie confirms that they are indeed shaped like fingers, whoever did that was strongly holding her wrist and forearm. There is also little cuts all over her right arm and the same rage takes hold of him.

“There is more!” notes Cheryl, pulling at Veronica’s turtle neck. Indeed there is a strange purple line all around. “It’s like someone tried to…strangle her”. The red headed girl’s voice trailed off before she could finish.

They exchange a worried glance before Archie declares, very assured:

“Whoever did that, I am going to find him and kill him.”

Right after, Archie left the room hastily to take care of another matter. Despite being furious, he remembers that Luna is upstairs and certainly still crying. Whatever is happening or happened has to wait.

Surprisingly, when he gets to the living room, the little girl is on Toni’s lap laughing at whatever foolery Kevin is making with his face. Hearing her little giggles immediately sooth him as he silently gets closer.

As if she sensed his presence, Luna is the first one to look at his direction. She smiles shyly at him and once again he feels something melt inside him:

“Luna, what kind of bad trick is _Uncle_ Kevin teaching you when I am not here?” he teases with a faux-warning gaze towards Kevin, while sitting between Toni and Josie.

“Newly designated _Uncle_ Kevin is not teaching our little Luna any bad tricks? Isn’t it Lu?” asks Kevin, pretending to be offended. The little girl’s shy smile gets bigger and she nods. Toni smiles fondly at the scene and she winks at Archie. Then, she hand him the little girl and whispers: “We are not stealing your baby”

“No, no, no. My clothes are drenched….” Starts to protest Archie but Josie shuts him:

“I don’t think your little girl bothers wet clothes, she needs her father”

_She needs her father._

Archie remembers that Veronica said something like that when they were arguing upstairs, in the same room she is currently resting after trying to kill herself. Archie feels the now familiar knot in the throat when he remembers Veronica on the bridge.

When Toni settles his daughter in his arms, Luna immediately snuggles against him like she did a couple hours ago when she had a nightmare. Archie is met with the same amazing smell of baby soap and vanilla. He automatically tightens his embrace.

“Actually, I wasn’t teaching her a bad trick but, since the little lady was babbling in French, I was singing her a French nursery rhyme I learned in college. It’s called Au Clair de la Lune “explains Kevin proudly, stressing at the French words with his perfect accent.

“Did you really go to college to learn nursery rhymes? If you told me I’d give you the twin’s playlist” mocks Toni.

Kevin sticks his tongue out and replies:

“It was for drama class, I played the French preceptor in a play. Besides, our little Luna knows and loves it! She sings like a little nightingale Archie! She’s following your steps”

Music. One more thing that leaves a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Who thought the Raven Bird’s daughter would be a nightingale!” exclaims Reggie when entering the living room. Archie’s jaw automatically clenches at Reggie’s comment and before he could answer, his friend continues:

“I suppose Toni is staying at the Cooper’s? “

Toni nods in approval.

“Kevin, Josie, do you want me to drive you back home?” Kevin and Josie stand up at Reggie’s proposition.

“Let me say bye to our cute little Raven bird and I’ll be following you” replies Kevin.

Suddenly, Archie loses his temper and hisses:

“Would you stop referring to this damned Raven bird mystery that cost me a life?”

For a second, they all froze at Archie’s vehemence but then proceed to follow Reggie out of the house, exchanging a comprehensive gaze.

Archie feels suddenly guilty for being aggressive when his friends have been trying to help him during the whole night. 

Before he could form an apology, Kevin stops in the hallway, hand on the door and turns around:

“Listen Archie, you may be confused and upset but tonight and whatever happened feels like a win. Veronica is upstairs, alive and back in Riverdale. And just look at you!” 

Kevin points out with his chin the little girl snuggled in his embrace. Apparently, Luna peacefully fell asleep and he can’t help but feel completely smitten by her angelical face.

“This _damned_ Raven Bird mystery didn’t take a life from you. It actually gifted you with one. “

He pauses before adding:

> “An adorable ginger topped one. “

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOOOOO? WHAT DO YOU THINK?
> 
> Fun fact: I wrote a big part of this chapter on June 3rd, at night. There was a huge storm in Paris and I litteraly felt like Veronica was in front of me.  
> I was hesitant to save the "coming back home" for next chapter but then I thought, I should be done with this long night (or not?).  
> What do you think? how cute Archie is ? What's in the store for Varchie ? Why Veronica is "happy" that Nick is worried about her?  
> \---------------------  
> Recommendations: 
> 
> Instagram AU accounts: "varchiesbae", "softvxrchie" and I absolutely love the concept of "bettysnews" with her story: Wife Swap  
> Fictions: if you didn't read all of Tuedayschildd 's fiction, I don't know why you're losing time with my fiction. She's so talented! I love her writing and I keep discovering new fictions!  
> Other than her/ him, I recommend you :  
> \- " In a Material World" by AlwaysSpeaksHerMind  
> \- "Like a Heartbeat... " by SunKeepsRising  
> \- "When the Stars go Blue" by BikerChick101  
> \- "Where I'm Falling" by Contemporary_Canary
> 
> \-----------  
> My all time favorites remain:  
> 1) love and loyalties by monicaposh  
> 2) Lake Michigan by andsmile  
> 3) ALL OF TUESDAYSCHILDD's fictions
> 
> Of course, I don't mean to be rude to anybody and I sincerely equally appreciate every author and work out here! This list can change depending on what I read, re-read or discover at the moment! If you don't want me to mention your work or account, I 'll delete it! 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Toodles ;)


	9. Shattered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> I am back with Chapter 9. I am dedicating it to "tolovethis" , Callie, "amcthystlodge", Lydia, Miranda, Tuesdayschildd and all the readers that didn't fell to show me support through their comments. Receiving feedback means a lot to me!  
> Though we ain't leaving the drama-dark shade of this fiction any time soon, this chapter is a lot more fluffy.  
> I wanted to integrate the last piece of that June night but once again, it has to be postponed to next chapter because this one is already way too long and I wanted to update as soon as possible.  
> Didn't have pictures so didn't put any.  
> Also, just warning you that my playlist is not the best !
> 
> If you want to know more, I am letting you discover it by yourself!
> 
> As always, don't hesitate to comment, leave kudos, correct my grammar or give me your impressions! I'd love to read your point of view!

_“Early morning  
Someone's calling  
Who could this be?  
Reach my phone and  
Your name showing  
On my caller ID”_

_Zara Larsson, Weak Heart_

A ray of sunlight is tickling her eyelids and she has the reflex to curl up on herself and bury her face in the comforter. She inhales heavily and is met with a familiar scent that makes her heart flip-flop instantly. It’s a mix of cheap laundry detergent, after-shave and extract of cedar shower gel.

She perfectly remembers this smell, it’s engraved in her memory, printed in the catalogue of most beautiful scents. It’s indexed at the second best, just after baby Luna’s.

It’s…. _Archie’s_.

The thought of the red headed man trails the events of the previous twenty four hours in a blurry, grey-painted, spin of flashbacks: a strong grip, a sharp knife, an endless nausea, a hot scorching breath, a scream, darkness, suffocation, pain, a phone call, a leather jacket, a string of cherry red, a dimed porch, a red headed boy, a satin blue dress, soft green eyes, tiny little fingers, a mix of vanilla and baby soap smell, a bottle of rum, burgundy dahlias, shattered glass, blood, a stain, rain, a bridge, a storm, the void. Black out.

The anarchic spin of snarled pictures slows down when she’s met with golden eyes gleaming in the dark of a foggy downpour. The heavy rain is running on his face, sticking a couple locks of his bright orange hair against his forehead and temples. It’s certainly is difficult for him, just as it is for her, to keep his eyes open when every raindrop is weighing down his eyelids but he doesn’t even blink. Instead, he’s spearing her with his gaze.

When it finally stopped raining, the hardness in his eyes has melted, his lips stretched to a hopeful smile and he’s extending her a saving hand.

_“If you stumble, I’ll catch you. If you fall, I‘ll follow you”_

She thinks he must be her red-headed angel who came to save her.

She tip toes to reach out that safety his handing her and when she thinks she found her safe place, the film reaccelerates and everything goes terrifyingly fast. She hears a piercing scream before finding herself float in the air for a lingering second.

Next moment, she’s buried in the comfort of his broad shoulders, captured in his muscular arms, crying her soul out. She found shelter in his embrace, meeting back the same beautiful scent she’s humming right now. He is whispering reassuring word, his hand stroking her hair and before everything went completely blank he said something that changed everything.

Nick was…

Veronica feels her heart vaults into her throat like she is going to throw it up at any seconds. She opens her eyes wide and quickly sit up, definitely awake and not giving a damn about the blinding light.

_Nick was worried about her_.

And before she could fully indulge herself in this thought, she realizes where she is.

She has been here just yesterday and surely a couple hundred times before, at a time she used to sneak in the room next door.

Unless the previous night, she takes her time to examine her surrenders and notices that nothing really changed: Cream beige walls, a giant maple wood wardrobe to her right, a large dirty grey bedside rug, dusty nightstands and white curtains that don’t do much in preventing the light to pour

through the big window.

There is also an abandoned vanity that seems completely out of place, next to the door that faces the queen sized bed, in the darkest corner of the bedroom. 

A vanity that she knows hasn’t been used for at least 10 years, when the lady of the house left.

_It’s Fred Andrews’s room_.

Her heart tightens with the same familiarity it does when she thinks of the best man and _father_ she has ever known.

She sighs and pushes the comforter out of her lap. Her gaze drop to her outfit and she clearly understands why she woke up swathed in that heady smell. She is wearing the red headed angel’s clothes. She remembers this old Spider-man t-shirt from another time when everything was… _different_.

Wait, why isn’t she wearing her own piece of clothing? She doesn’t even remember putting those on.

Does it mean Archie dressed her when her mind went completely blank?

It stings a bad feeling and not for the obvious reasons. Veronica quickly looks at the bruises displayed on her arms in the sleeveless T-shirt.

He must have seen it.

Truth is he already seen a glimpse of them yesterday but she would have preferred if he didn’t see _any_ of her scars. 

He didn’t need to know, he didn’t _deserve_ to know. He lost this right five years ago when he betrayed her and left her...

_Don’t go there Veronica! You are here for Luna!_

Her immediate thought is that she has to cover herself before Luna sees her.

She glances at the night stand where an old fashioned clock is indicating 11:27 am and doesn’t think twice before jumping out the bed and rushes to open the door.

BOOM

When she looks down to her feet, she’s met with messy red hairs and a wincing face.

“Ouch” whines the red-headed man while rubbing the back of his painful head.

He was sitting on the floor, back leaned against the door when she opened it, making him lost balance and fall flat on his back.

“Archie?” she hears herself question, bewildered.

He finally opens his eyes and she’s met with the same incredulous look she’s certainly mirroring. She tilts her head to the side and arch up an eyebrow in confusion.

“Hi!”

And then he smiles at her awkwardly, cheeks reddening and obviously trying to act casual which he’s clearly failing at. He looks so dumfounded that she feels her lips curling up and they both burst into giggles.

She feels a whole bevy of butterflies flying in her stomach when she hears him laugh with his whole body, his chest trembling and it’s like she’s floating few centimeters away from the ground.

For a moment, they aren’t two strangers who broke apart, carrying a whole bundle of resentment against each other. They are just two person put in a funny and embarrassing situation.

Then Archie gets to his feet, brushes himself off and shushes her, a finger on his own lips. He whispers:

“Luna”

He points out the door in the corner, still beaming at her in amusement.

“She’s still sleeping.”

_Oh_. 

She nods her head in understanding and he’s still massaging his head, sheepishly.

“I am definitely going to have a commotion if I keep falling on my head”

He sighs dramatically and she can’t help but tease him.

“What were you exactly doing there? Guarding my door?”

He smiles back at her and responds immediately:

“I kinda have to when you have a history of vanishing in the middle of the night”

He sounds more playful than resentful but it doesn’t stop the pitting feeling of guilt and shame that wipe out the smile from her face. She must have made a face because he immediately says:

“Ow. I am sorry. I didn’t mean to…I guess it’s too early to joke”

He blushes and it makes her feel all type of way.

“No. That’s okay”

They stand there for a moment, staring at each other when she feels his gaze linger to her neck than to her right arm. She remembers how exposed she is in the sleeveless T-shirt and quickly hides her arm behind her back, just like she did yesterday. 

Before he could ask her any question, she hastily outpaces him, blurting out whatever comes first to her mind:

“Did you put this on me?”

She pulls at her (his) t-shirt with her left arm and the flush on his cheeks deepens.

“No, no, no. Don’t worry” he quickly sputters. She knits her eyebrows together in confusion and then he hastily explains:

“Betty and Cheryl did! You were unconscious and freezing in your soaked clothes. I thought you should get changed so you don’t catch a cold or something like that…” his voice trails off and she nods in understanding.

They don’t speak for a minute and the whole situation is becoming very much awkward when she asks him:

“Do you mind if I take a shower and get dressed with my _own_ clothes before Luna gets up?”

He doesn’t react to her remark about her attire and instead muffles:

“Of course, go ahead. I am going to… make coffee”

She can’t help but stare at him leaving until he disappears down the stairs.

It’s unfair that he looks even more handsome than he did five years ago when she last kissed him. It was on their last date, late at night, by the stairs of the Pembroke.

He traced the shape of her jaw with his calloused finger while looking at her with eyes full of stars. After three years of dating, she still felt completely dazzled by the passion in his gaze and it made her feel ultimately undeserving…

Then he leaned, cupped her face in his large hands and kissed her like there won’t be any tomorrow. Reflecting about it now, they wouldn’t be indeed any tomorrow for them.

Veronica shakes her head to chase the old souvenirs that she obstinately buried inside her. She softly opens the door next to Fred’s room and her heart melts inside her chest.

Luna is snuggled in Archie’s way too big bed. Her stuffed bunny, Mr. Lewis - in reference to Lewis Carroll’s white bunny in Alice in Wonderland- is squeezed in front of her face.

Someone, most certainly Archie, has swathed her in the blanket and she’s breathing heavily. He certainly was afraid she wouldn’t be warm enough and bundled her up this way but Luna actually prefers the cold. Obviously, he doesn’t know that.

Archie being Archie, he wanted to do what he thought was best and their daughter looks so peaceful, much more than during the flight. It brings her a soothing feeling of comfort.

Somehow, she did the right thing. Even if she has no idea how things are going from now on, she knows that Luna would be in a much safer environment. 

Archie’s words resonate in her head: “How could you abandon your daughter?

She never abandoned her. She never thought of it for a second. Everything she ever did or was willing to do, was to protect her. She didn’t want Luna to be the collateral damage of her relationship with her father and his doings.

But somehow, Archie was right. She shouldn’t have given up so quickly.

What if he didn’t go after her? What if he didn’t stop her? What if she fell? What is she died before he got to tell her about Nick?

She shouldn’t have acted so reckless.

Even if Archie didn’t receive that phone call, she should have waited until everything was secured for Luna and this is exactly what she has to be focused from now on.

But, how much time does she have?

She has to call Hermosa and learn exactly what happened. Now that he knows about Luna, Archie is definitely not going to let her take her and escape. She has to stick to the initial plan on this part: make Archie Luna’s legally father, just in case. 

Yesterday, he said that he called his mother and that she’d be here today.

But she obviously can’t stay in this house, Archie is.... 

And it’s like an arrow just perforated her heart when she remembers that Archie is…e _ngaged._ To her former best friend.

She feels a pain that hadn’t hit her yesterday when she heard the news. She was too nervous, terrified and panicked to think of it but now, there is acidic bile rising in her throat and her heart is pounding against her ribcage. The usual anxiety attack is kicking in and she feels like she’s going to throw up at any moment.

She feels _betrayed_. All over again.

Veronica manages to swallow the emotions that are threatening to overwhelm her and she chases the tears that are prickling her eyes.

She promised herself she wouldn’t cry over it, not anymore.

She has to focus on her daughter and only her.

She approaches the bed and bends down to kiss her little angel’s forehead. She moves the strands of flame curls that are falling on her daughter’s face and hums her hair. It’s definitely the most beautiful smell in the world and Luna’s security is worth slamming her old dragons over and over.

\---------

He is stupid.

That’s what Archie is repeating himself for the hundredth time while brewing coffee.

Why did he make that stupid comment about her disappearing in the night?

It’s not like he was on the wrong and a part of him, pretty big part, still resents her for the upheaval and fear she put him through last night. Not to forget about her disappearance five years ago or the child she brought to the world without deigning to inform him.

(God, that still hard to process completely…)

And even if he is still trapped in this blurry, crazy, chaotic mess, for a moment, everything felt lighter when she laughed.

Hearing Veronica‘s crystal- clear laughter felt like he was allowed to take a fresh breath of air after being on apnea for hours. Truthfully, for years, from the moment she vanished.

And boy, she looked adorable in his oversized T-shirt, raven hair tousled and bare faced. He wanted to hug her so badly and he thought he would but then he saw the bruises and it made his blood boil. He wanted to ask her about who dared to do this for her but then she started asking questions and he knew she wasn’t ready to answer.

So he let it go and came downstairs to make coffee like he said he would.

He doesn’t even know why he’s doing it in the first place.

It’s not like they are going to have breakfast at almost noon?

But actually, he would definitely use a serve of two of the beverage to keep him aware after the exhausting night they had.

After Betty and Cheryl left earlier in the morning, he was left with sleeping Luna in his arms. He put her to bed, took a quick shower and changed before lying in bed with his daughter safely hugged in his arms. She woke up twice but quickly went back to sleep after having the reassurance he was by her side, at least that what he hopes.

Archie kept the door wide open to keep an eye on the hallway in case Veronica woke up and decided to leave again.

When he felt like he was on the verge of falling asleep, he preferred to sit against the door to glean one or two hours of sleep. Well, that was before she opened the door and caught him red handed.

They laughed about it until he made that stupid comment that put both of them in the awkward zone. But what was he supposed to do?

He’s not going to avoid the subject forever, isn’t he?

He needs answers to the crazy amount of questions that are threatening to blow up his brain at any moment.

She stabbed him in the back and left. Then she got back, told him she brought him his daughter before attempting to kill herself. The in between is just a huge question mark.

When he put Luna to bed, he texted Hermosa to inform her that Veronica was safe and asked her what happened but she left him in read, hanging on his questions. And he obviously couldn’t call because Luna was sleeping by his side.

But still, he was tortured with the same interrogations again and again:

What happened that night with her father to make her burn the Pembroke?

Did she really jump out the bridge after he left her in the parking?

What happened in New York to make her escape to Riverdale yesterday? Who hurt her? What is exactly going on in her relationship with Nick?

Archie isn’t really sure that he wants to know about this part. He perfectly remembers the smile she flashed him when he told her that her _fiancé_ was waiting for her and it aches. Damn, it still aches like the first day, maybe even more. 

He is still lost in his thought when, about twenty minutes later, a small squeak indicates him that Veronica is certainly walking down the stairs. He looks up and is happily surprised to be greeted not only with the raven haired beauty but also with his little girl, holding her mother’s hand and smiling at him.

Any dark thought he had instantly ceases.

Luna looks adorable in her pink jumpsuit that has little white flowers embroidered all over, her hair tied in lousy pig tails and her little bunny stuffed animal still firmly squeezed in her other hand.

She looks up to Veronica like she’s seeking some kind of approval and Veronica smiles back at her with a little nod. Then, she runs towards him and he can’t help but bend on his knees and receive her with open arms.

Archie feels completely overwhelmed when he feels her little arms around his neck, her hand buried in his chest tenderly. 

He closes his arms and breathes out her beautiful baby scent.

His heart tightens in his chest at the emotions bubbling inside him.

It’s like meeting back with someone you didn’t know you were waiting for. It’s like finding back someone you lost. The difference is that he didn’t even know she existed and he feels guilty. He feels guilty that he didn’t know; that he somehow didn’t feel it.

He should have known. 

His father would have known if his son was somewhere waiting for him. Fred Andrews was the best father he could ever thought of, a way better father that he could ever be.

Will he one day live up to it?

His eyes start welling up and he sniffs, forcing himself to swallow the tears before Luna or Veronica gets to see them.

God, he cried more in the last 24 hours than he did during the last three years.

“Bonjour Daddy” babbles Luna against his chest.

“Hi baby” he whispers back, tightening his embrace. He looks up to Veronica that is now standing few feet away, head leaned against the wall.

She looks so beautiful with her wet shinny hair floating on her shoulders, wearing dark blue jeans and a grey turtleneck sweater that he knows, hides strategically the bruises on her arm and neck.

He doesn’t get the time to indulge to this thought, completely mesmerized by her beautiful smile and her soft gaze.

There is something so vulnerable about Veronica Lodge dressed so casually, bare faced, with only socks at her feet and fortunately, without those cursed high heels that made her slip yesterday.

“What are we going to do about the French? You don’t expect me to reach the level so quickly. You know how bad I am with this language” he jokes, wincing back at the last part.

Veronica chuckles, still looking at them fondly and replies:

“Luna speaks and understands English as perfectly as any other American child of her age. We came back to the US a week ago, she’s still adjusting”

Archie shots an eyebrow and Veronica’s smile disappears when she realizes what she said.

Once again, as if she’s afraid he’s going to ask her any question she outpaces him, blurting out uncomfortably:

“Betty is not here?”

She looks around like she expects to see the blonde girl jump out from a corner of the kitchen.

Archie’s eyebrows knit together as he releases Luna and proceeds to sit her on one of the chairs around the kitchen’s island.

“No. She went back to her house with Cheryl last night. She said she’d come by this morning to check on you.”

Veronica nods and he doesn’t know why he senses a weird vibe when she mentioned Betty. She was so hesitant, like she was holding back something.

But once again, it seems that she was always holding back something.

He decides that now is not the right time to question her about anything, their little girl watching their interaction with curious eyes.

“So tell me Luna, what do you like to eat for breakfast?” The little girl beams at him shyly but doesn’t answer.

“Eggs? Bacon? Or maybe French toast?” he tries. She arches her eyebrows like he said something weird and shakes her head vehemently.

Veronica chuckles and he looks at her, not understanding what he said wrong.

“We don’t eat salty food for breakfast in France“Explains Veronica like it was obvious.

“She usually takes chocolate milk and whatever biscuit there is. That’s actually the only time of the day, I allow her to have anything sweet.”

 _Oh_.

Luna nods at the last part and repeats with her reedy voice:

“Luna is allowed to have sweets only in the morning after eating her fruit!”

She acts all serious and solemnly, raising her little finger and tilting her chin that it’s get him and Veronica to exchange a glance before guffawing.

“Okay, okay. I guess pancakes will do” capitulates Archie, raising his arms theatrically.

Luna frowned, not liking that they her parents were obviously mocking her. Veronica plants a kiss on the little girl’s forehead before telling him:

“Don’t look surprised. She looks cute and shy but she’s a Miss Personality, she doesn’t like to be left out of the joke”

Archie chuckles and replies:

“Like mother like daughter I guess. I don’t know if I can handle this”.

Archie goes around the kitchen’s island and joins Veronica next to Luna. Fort the second time, they exchange a knowing look and it feels like any animosity they had faded out. 

“Sorry Lulu, I guess I am the moron” he whispers and the frown on Luna’s face disappears replaced by her bright smile.

He bends to kiss the little girl’s forehead, eyes still locked on Veronica. Luna holds the hand he kept on her head and pulls it against her cheek like he remembers she did yesterday with Veronica when she was unconscious. He can’t help but pull her into another tight hug.

He doesn’t think he’ll ever get over the feeling of having his daughter in his arms and it’s such a relief that she acts so familiar with him. One of the first thought that crossed his mind after she interrupted them last night was if she doesn’t like him. Worst, what if his daughter is scared of him?

Obviously, she’s still shy and her eyes are always searching for Veronica’s but she doesn’t pull away and even squeeze him back. He doesn’t know what he would do if it wasn’t the case.

He feels the little girl squeak in his arms and he slightly releases his embrace. He thinks that he may have squeezed her too hard but it doesn’t seem that’s what Luna has in mind.

She looks up to Veronica that was standing next to her and pulls her by the hand.

“Mommy, come!”

Veronica glances at Archie hesitantly and for a second, he thinks she’s going to make up something but she leans and joins their embrace. His heart stutters in his chest when he feels their arms touch and connect against Luna’s back.

He can smell her intoxicating perfume blending with Luna’s and his whole body feels weak.

It was already overwhelming to hold her yesterday on that bridge but _this_ , is completely something else. She is not clinging at him desperately while sobbing her heart out. There is no despair, pain or hurt in this embrace. 

There is just pure tenderness and maybe a little bit of melancholia. He knows that it’s just momentary before they’ll pull away and all the resent will irrevocably rise back.

But for a moment, a lingering moment, he indulges himself in this little bubble with his most special girls.

\-----------------

Cuddling with Archie wasn’t a part of the plan. Well, technically it wasn’t with Archie but with her daughter.

And what was she exactly supposed to do? Tell her daughter that she couldn’t hug her because she was afraid of what she’d feel when she’d sense her father’s touch?

It wasn’t like she didn’t crave it. She did. 

And that was exactly why she was utterly ashamed and angry at herself.

During the past five years, she kept repeating herself that she didn’t have the right to miss him. He hurt her, turned his back on her and cheated. Well, again, technically it wasn’t cheating…

Her thoughts are interrupted by a warm motion against her thigh and she feels Luna squirm against her chest. Almost relentlessly she breathes in one last time before pulling out the embrace as Archie does the same.

Veronica smiles when she recognizes that it’s just Vegas that startled her. Wiggling tail, he is sniffling at Luna’s bare feet. Archie chuckles at Luna’s mi-surprised mi-apprehensive expression.

“Don’t be scared Lulu. That’s Vegas, he’s a Labrador Retriever and one of my best friends. He’s a fatty, getting old and a little bit annoying but still very kind!”

Veronica smiles at the new nickname Archie gave to their daughter. It remembers her that once upon a time he did the same with her, re-baptizing her with a surname he only got to use.

Luna is still looking curiously at Vegas, not daring to touch the dog. 

Unexpectedly the dog lap her toes and they all burst in laugh.

“See, that means he loves you” jokes Archie while holding Luna that jumped out to his arms.

Vegas seemed to have lost interest in Luna as he is patting Veronica’s thigh with his truffle. She bends and scratches Vegas’s head like he loves it and he ends up licking her palm too.

“He missed you too”

Veronica immediately looks up to Archie and he’s biting his lower lips realizing the implication in what he said.

Her heart is twirling and her eyes are locked on his. His gaze, ever the softest is melting her on the spot.

What does this mean?

Saved by the gong, somebody is knocking at the door and Archie unlocks eyes with her and cheerfully tells Luna:

“Let’s see who is visiting us, Lulu!”

Veronica remains frozen at the exact spot.

Did he mean to say that Vegas missed her back? Or, that… _he, Archie,_ … missed her? 

Before she gets to print this thought, Betty’s voice resonates to her ear and she quickly turns over.

Guess the universe is sending her the answer.

Veronica turns towards the hallway and sees that Archie is making the presentation between Luna and Betty. Luna seems to immediately adopt her, giggling when Betty is tickling her. 

Veronica stays on her spot, not daring to approach them and trying to swallow the pang of jealousy she feels. She tries to tell herself that she should like that the connection between _her_ daughter and Betty is so easy and so fast but she knows it’s not just about Luna.

It’s about…Archie. It’s about how she always knew that there was that unsolved thing between them and that she was just a bump on their path.

Betty had always a sort of priority on Archie because she knew him since they were children and she was the first to proclaim her love for him. Betty was entitled to have Archie and Veronica was just a…phase.

“V! Are you okay?”

Betty, who apparently noticed her standing in front of the kitchen, squeals and runs to hug her. Veronica feels as overwhelmed as she did yesterday.

How is she supposed to react?

Is she supposed to ignore the fact that Betty, who was her best friend, betrayed her with her ex-boyfriend and never tried to reach out to her during those years?

Once again, it feels like she doesn’t have the right to blame her because once upon a time, she kissed Archie in Cheryl’s closet.

And yes, she technically didn’t owe her, they barely knew each other, didn’t make a vow about boys and weren’t B&V back then.

And yes, Archie had rejected Betty and they weren’t dating.

And yes, Betty returned the favor with that Black Hood prompted kiss but yet, it still didn’t seem enough.

Archie was Betty’s from the beginning. Its how things were supposed to be in the perfect teen romance and this is how they happened to be.

So, Veronica lets Betty hug her and swallows whatever resentful feelings she doesn’t have the right to feel. After a short moment, Betty finally releases her and takes her hands in hers.

“You scared us so much… Don’t you ever do this again” whispers the blonde girl to make sure that Luna didn’t hear her.

The blonde girl looks so sincere; her worried green eyes gleaming with tears and Veronica can only nod. Somehow, she feels guilty.

“You have the cutest, most adorable little girl!” She exclaims but then pretends to whisper, a sheepish smile on her lips “Don’t tell Cheryl or my mom I said that! For them Juni is the eighth wonder of the world. Truth is that she is more Cheryl’s mini twin than Dagwood’s: Impossible, Uncontrollable and…”

Betty looks around her like she was afraid someone would appear to scold her and mouths:

“Diabolical”

Archie who joined them in the kitchen, starts chuckling knowingly at the description. Veronica can’t hold a smirk, thinking about her red-headed friend and imagining a mini copy.

“Don’t get fooled by her cute face, Luna is bossy and malicious” replies Veronica, smiling at Luna who’s beaming back at her and soon extends her arms to silently ask her mother to hold her. Veronica tries to ignore the heat that irradiates from Archie’s arms against hers when he passes her Luna.

“I am sure you must have heard it a thousand hundred times V but she looks just like you: same pouty lips, long eyelashes, cute nose, heart shaped face, dimples…” Betty starts to list, patting Luna’s nose each time she enumerates a new feature which makes her daughter giggle, amused.

“But she has your eyes Arch! And obviously your carrot top hair!”

Veronica notices that Archie is smiling wide at Betty’s last comment with a glimpse of something that looks a lot like pride and she can’t help but feel her heart squeeze for that man who only got to meet his daughter.

She was often told that Luna looked like her but nobody ever said anything about where Luna’s honey eyes and ginger curls came from, rightly assuming she didn’t want to talk about it. To all considered, Reggie - Archie’s friend who came in the same flight - was maybe the first one to mention anything about it.

She feels guilty because she knows that Archie should have known, should have been her and should have received the compliments just as she did, just as every parent.

“Thanks Betts” responds Archie cheerfully, proving her point.

Betty smiled back and headed to the fridge.

“I see that you’ve already made the coffee, Arch. I’ll make breakfast”

Betty was bringing juice and milk out of the fridge, naturally proceeding to make breakfast like she didn’t need them to tell her that they hadn’t eaten yet. She had always been spontaneously motherly and before Luna, Veronica never thought she’d be like that one day.

“Don’t bother yourself with the eggs” says Archie when he sees Betty put a pan on the stove.

“We’ll have French breakfast, croissants excluded and fruit required”

He winks at Luna who nods in approval when he waves a banana at her direction.

Betty doesn’t seem to catch the exchange and quickly began to explain that Cheryl went back to Thistle house to change and sleep and that she’s most likely going to be back in the afternoon. Certainly in an attempt to pretend that it was a casual morning, the blonde girl adds that FP was still hosting the traditional Saturday barbecue before Labor’s day but Veronica stopped listening to her when Betty got out a huge cake. It had two layers with whipped cream all over and a miniscule glass statuette of bride and groom on the top.

It stings. It stings awfully bad.

“Cake! Mommy cake!” chirpily exclaims Luna, stirring in her embrace. Veronica let her out on her feet and the little girl rushes to the chair declaring that she was starving.

“I am sure you are starving now that Auntie Betty got out the cake!” chuckles Archie, installing Luna on the chair and serving her a glass of milk and the banana, sliced in a bowl.

“I don’t know who is more excited about the cake, Jughead or Luna. He didn’t stop complaining that because of what happened yesterday he didn’t get to eat the cake and that I had to, I quote, repatriate the precious decay as soon as possible!” jokes Betty, looking up at her.

But Veronica is frozen on the spot, her gaze lingering to Betty’s left hand where a beautiful diamond ring is shinning. She knows that she doesn’t have her word to say but can’t they be a little more… discreet? And yes, she noticed that Jughead was there yesterday but is he really okay with that? Did he really integrated the fact that boy-next-door and girl-next door were irrevocably meant to be together?

“V, when Luna finishes her breakfast, can I take her with me to play with the twins?”

Betty’s question forces her to unlock eyes from the ring and she arches a wary eyebrow at her old friend. 

“I think that you two have some sort of discussion to have and…sort out things…” she trails off hesitantly looking back and forth between Archie and her.

Archie looks up to her with a look that clearly means that he didn’t forget that:

“Yes, we have to talk… preferably not in front of… you know“ Archie tilts his head to his left where Luna is focused on devouring the slice of cake Betty has served her, smearing her face with whipped cream and forgetting about the milk and bananas.

Veronica knows that Archie is referring to what happened the night before when things got heated between them and Luna thought that Archie was going to hit her.

She has never been comfortable with serious talks, especially with Archie, but she knows this is not one of those she can dodge, so…

“Baby, Mommy and Daddy need to have an adult conversation. Is it okay if you go play with Betty’s nephew and niece when you’ll finish your breakfast?”

Luna looks up to her hesitantly and Betty completes:

“I live just across the street and Juniper and Dagwood have a lot of toys to share with you”

Luna looks back at Veronica who bends on her knees and holds the little girl’s hand.

“If you want to get back, you just tell Betty and she will bring you. Okay?”

With her thumb, Veronica wipes off the cream on Luna’s face and Luna nods in agreement with a little sad pout. Veronica starts covering Luna’s face with kisses until she starts giggling and cries out:

“Mommy! Arrête!”

Veronica drops one last sonorous kiss on Luna’s nose.

“Okay, I stop. But I don’t want to see this pouty lip again!” she warns, faking to be mad and squeezing playfully Luna’s bottom lip.

“And don’t you think you’ll leave without finishing your milk _and bananas!”_

Luna chuckles and jumps out her chair, assured that her mother will catch her.

Her daughter in her arms, Veronica sighs in relief. Nothing else matters than having Luna happy and confident. She looks up and her heart stutters nervously at Archie who was fondly contemplating their little negotiation.

\--------------

Archie stands in front of the door, looking at Betty crossing the streets, one hand holding the packed up cake (or what was left) and the other holding Luna’s. Just before they entered the red door, Luna turns back and waves with her bunny stuffed animal that is apparently named Mr. Lewis.

When Veronica was putting her shoes, Luna explained him that Mr. Lewis was her “doudou”, a sort of security blanket that she had since birth and was gifted by a woman named Celine. Archie didn’t miss how Veronica’s back tensed and she quickly started to remind Luna to be nice and listen to Betty before he could ask who Celine was.

She clearly wasn’t letting him the opportunity to ask anything related to the past. Unfortunately for her, this is exactly what he is going to do now.

He closes the door and walks back to the kitchen where Veronica is apparently cleaning the dishes.

That’s something else to add to the long list of the new mysterious changes about her.

“You are sure you don’t want to eat?”

Archie sees her shoulders shrug and she whispers a low but distinct no.

She only drunk a mug of coffee and ate some of Luna’s leftover banana, firmly refusing to eat the slice of cake Betty served her. 

He wants to insist but he knows better than forcing Veronica Lodge.

He cleans the island and leans against it, knowing she’s trying to lose time. He hears the dishes clanking, the water running for a couple more seconds before it stops.

The first notes of a distant piano are pouring into the kitchen from the radio station he turned on when an awkward silence settled at the end of the breakfast.

_I find shelter in this way  
Under cover, hide away  
Can you hear when I say  
I have never felt this way_

_Birdy, Shelter_

He watches her fumble against the hanging dry cloth and she finally turns back and looks at him, hands curled in fists.

Her now dried hair, fall in perfect shinny waves around her beautiful face and as if she heard his thought, she tucks a lock of raven lock behind her ear and tilts her chin up.

It’s been five years but he still perfectly knows that when she does that, she’s trying to collect herself and have that strong but icy attitude she was required to master since she was a little girl.

“What did you want to talk about?”

As expected, her tone is sharp and icy and the tension they tried to dissipate in front of Luna is back and palpable more than ever.

“I think that you and I know what I want to talk about, what we _need_ to talk about”

His voice is weaker than what he wanted. Veronica doesn’t reply and keeps her poker face on. She’s clearly not willing to help him start the conversation. He runs his hands in his hair and sighs.

_I still want to drown whenever you leave  
Please teach me gently how to breathe_

“Actually, I don’t even know where to start. The daughter you hide from me or you willing to commit suicide? ” He pauses and studies her expression. She doesn’t react and he pursues.

“Or how you disappeared five years ago without saying anything”

“Don’t you dare go there” She hisses in a threatening tone.

“Why? Isn’t it the truth? You vanished overnight and everybody had his own theory about what happened. Some said you burnt in the Pembroke, which I know you didn’t “

He tilts his head to the side to indicate that for the both of them the stated possibility was self-evidently off the table “And others were sure that you turned out to a freaking Raven Bird, jumping out the bridge. I didn’t even consider that option until I saw you yesterday standing on the guardrail.”

He can’t help the increasing tone of his voice, remembering her two inches from falling. Veronica doesn’t blink, already aware of the made up stories behind her disappearance.

“Did you really jump out the bridge five years ago?”

Her jaw clenches and she spits out very assuredly:

“ _That”_ She stresses _“_ is none of your business.”

She links her arms on her chest, her hands still fisted. Archie is clearly not impressed by her defensive stance.

“Really ? It’s none of my business?”

In three quick strides, he’s in front of her, staring at her dark orbs.

“I believe it’s my business when you materialize at my doorstep with a child and tell me, what was it again? _I brought you your daughter, Archie Andrews._ ”

He ironically mimics, drawing invisible quotation marks with his fingers.

“What am I supposed to say? Okay Veronica, I don’t know where you have been or why you left but let’s play houses and raise our child.”

Veronica scoffs like he said something totally inappropriate.

“I never said we’d raise her together! I only asked you if you’d take care of her while I...”

“While you’d be drowning in Sweet Water River” he cuts her. She swallows and her gaze falls to the floor. There is no smart answer to that.

“You know what? As I told you yesterday, I‘ll repeat it. I am going to step up and take care of my daughter. But you need to tell me what’s happening?” Archie’s voice softens and he pursues:

“What are you running from? Who did that to you?” He’s about to reach for her wrist when she slips aside.

“I told you, it’s none of your business.” She looks back at him, eyes gleaming with anger.

“Everything that concerns _me_ is none of your business. “ She points out to her chest to reinforce her point. “Just know that if you don’t legally acknowledge Luna before my father realizes that I came to Riverdale, he is going to take her from you” She pauses and corrects “from _both of us_.”

She is not threatening him. Behind the anger, there is a clear panic and the same distress he saw yesterday on the bridge.

“Why? Why would he do that to you? I mean sure he hates me but what about you?” he stammers, disconcerted.

“Is this what it was all about? Was he going to take her from you and you decided to kill yourself? Is he the one who hurt you?” Archie groans, holding on to her wrist.

Veronica winces and closes her eyes, trying to pull away. He immediately rises up his grip to her elbow where he now she won’t be hurting and holds her firmly.

“Why is he doing this to you? Did he force you to leave with him five years ago?”

Archie is clearly frustrated, angry and scared at the same time.

“Why don’t you answer?” He screams and Veronica finally opens her eyes, tears rolling on her cheeks and his grip loosens immediately. He can’t stand to see her cry, even when he’s furious. 

They are silent for a moment and he notices that in the radio, the slow ballad gave turn to a heavier tune that matches the tension building between them. 

_“We clawed, we chained, our hearts in vain  
We jumped, never asking why  
We kissed, I fell under your spell  
A love no one could deny”_

_Wrecking Ball, Miley Cyrus_

“I told you, don’t ask question about me! It’s none of your business!” she finally let out in a frustrated scream.

“I don’t need your protection!” She pokes him on the chest, her right hand still fisted.

For a moment, it remembers him of Betty and that thing she does when she feels that things are slipping out of her control and he wonders if Veronica is feeling like that too but she pursues:

“Just be here for your daughter! Just take care of your daughter!”

He pauses and takes a step forward. The tears are still rolling on her tears and she’s taking deep breath, lips trembling in rage.

_Don't you ever say I just walked away_

_I will always want you_

“Don’t pretend to care about your daughter when you were willing to abandon her with a father she has never seen.” He retorts in a hoarse, taking another step forward. He is not screaming but he might’ve as well, his words being equally harsh.

“Will you stop repeating that I abandoned my daughter? I never did, never would! I took care of Luna until I couldn’t but then again, I didn’t abandon her. I brought her to _you_ because I had no other choice. I had to do it!” She keeps poking him before finally pushing him, left palm against his chest.

“Exactly, I came as a last solution, isn’t it? You did what you had to do because Veronica Lodge always does the right thing. You don’t explain yourself and just vanish! “

He puffs out to simulate the sound of a balloon popping in the air.

“You were leaving me with the dirty job to explain her why her mother decided to disappear forever in the middle of the night! And I don’t even know why!”

She makes a face at the sarcastic tone he uses but she knows he’s not completely wrong.

“I had a talk with her before you left to sleep. She’s very young but she understands things better than you’d think” She explains in a breath but it makes Archie even more furious. He rubs his eyes with his thumbs and starts chuckling humorlessly. She doesn’t add anything before he finally stops and looks at her:

“May I know how you explained whatever you were planning to do? Mommy is planning to spread her wings and fly!” He agitates his arms theatrically, mimicking a bird but she’s not willing to bow to his mockery.

“I told her that I needed to leave and that from now on she’d have to live with her Daddy. That _you’d_ take care of your daughter!”

“That I’d take care of my daughter…” he repeats in a murmur.

“Should I thank you for giving me the privilege of getting to know _my_ daughter?” His ironic tone quickly shifts to pure fury. He has never felt so angry in his life.

“She’s almost _four_ years old and I learnt about her existence few hours ago! What do I know about her? You deprived me from my daughter, Veronica!” She jumps out when he slams the counter with his hands. He leans at her and asks angrily in a choked voice:

“She doesn’t even who I am, right? You showed her a picture and told her here is Archie, your daddy and that’s it. You kept her a secret from me and you kept me a secret from her!”

She bites his lips, despising the picture he’s drawing.

“Of all people, you did this to me!”

_All I wanted was to break your walls  
All you ever did was wreak me_

A single tear rolls from his left eyes while jaw clenched, he tries to refrain the sob that is shearing his throat. 

He might be angry, the most he has ever been, but he is Archie.

Archie Andrews, a boy, a now young man, that always held his heart by his sleeve. A man who is coming face to face with the one person who made him the happiest but also the most wretched, miserable version of himself.

He can’t pretend to be nothing else but absolutely, ultimately and completely heartbroken.

Because his heart aches, it aches even more than it ever did before. He thought he lost the love of his life but the truth is that she didn’t just take his heart away. As if it wasn’t enough to let him breathless, the woman he loved the most took from him his own child. She deprived him of his own blood and flesh, his soul, a part of him that equals nothing else in the world. She deprived him of moments he would never be able to catch up.

“You didn’t have the right, Veronica” he murmurs.

For a moment, they are silent, eyes locked a few inches away from each other.

_I put you high up in the sky  
And now, you're not coming down  
It slowly turned, you let me burn  
And now, we're ashes on the ground_

It’s hard and painful for him to be a breath away from the person that is engraved in your soul and feel so furious at her.

It’s hard to stare at her gleaming onyx pupils.

He wants to wipe out those tears and scream at her at the same time.

He wants to hug her and nag her at the time.

He wants to kiss her and… just kiss her… until he’d be able to breathe again.

“I never kept you a secret from her” finally breathes out Veronica.

“I told her about you since she was a baby. I didn’t just show her pictures but I also told her everything about you, about us” She bits her bottom lips, tears bathing her face before confessing.

“I told her that we were deeply in love and that she was made out of love”

Archie’s grip on the counter loosens and he’s taken aback by Veronica’s unexpected exposure.

He doesn’t answer and she keeps up.

“But that it finished and we broke up“

Right. It finished within an hour and they broke up over a damn phone call before she decided to sign herself in some contract. He doesn’t say any of that and just asks, not trying to disguise the bitterness and hurt in his voice:

“That’s it, right? That’s everything you told her about me?”

He is hanging to her gaze, trying to identify the emotions painted in her dark pupils. He used to know…No, he used to _think_ that he knew all about the mysteries that held her cryptic eyes but now he doesn’t know.

He wants to believe that she’s feeling it too. That she is feeling that consuming pain and longing that needs the other half to soothe. Weren’t they supposed to be soul mates? Wasn’t she supposed to be his other half?

Chin tilted up but tears still flowing uncontrollably, Veronica replies.

“No, that’s not everything. I told her that her Daddy will love her deeply because her Daddy is the most loving person in the world. “She sniffles and he feels his heart hammering even harder against his ribcage.

“I told her that her father would always support and protect her from everything and everyone because it’s the way he is. “

She pauses. “It’s the way you are”

His mouth is dry and tongue tied but he hangs on every word she enunciates very self-assuredly.

“I told her that she could trust you because you would always believe her, never hurt her or walk away from her. I told her that you’d never betray her.”

He blinks, frozen. Is it really what she thinks of him? So, why did she…

His lips part but Veronica immediately adds with a humorless lopsided smile:

“So, don’t worry Archie. I didn’t tell her the truth. I told her what I wanted to be the truth!”

She looks disgusted and it’s like somebody threw at him a bucket of ice.

“What do you mean?” he stutters but she cuts him, her eyes throwing daggers:

“The only thing I am asking you is to not make me a liar in front of my daughter! Stay truthful to her at least!”

It makes something snap inside him. He grips her from both shoulders and hisses, his lips almost touching hers:

“It’s rich coming from someone who broke up over a phone call and sold herself as a teen bride for capital shares!”

He sees her eyes widen in shock and her mouth falls open. She’s genuinely surprised. Of course, she didn’t expect him to know. His lips curl up in a bitter grin:

“What happened? You’re speechless? You’re surprised that I know all about how you betrayed me?”

Then he sees something shift in her gaze and within a second, she shoves his hands to the side, raise her fisted hand and bellows:

“I am not the engaged one!” 

Her fist strikes into the left side of his chest, stabbing him with something edgy. 

He stays frozen, barely processing the pain, while she takes a step back and spears him with accusatory eyes. The sting she caused on his skin is nothing compared to what he feels underneath -in his heart- when she looks at him _like that_.

Next thing he processes is the sound of shattered glass and his gaze follows her arm now dangling to her side. Her palm is open and bleeding, blood dripping to the floor where the fragments of a groom figurine is scattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... I might have lied when I said it would be a little more fluffly..  
> What did you expect me to do?? I know we hate to see them fight but they had to...  
> It was a struggle to balance everything and I was afraid to miss this tension between them. 
> 
> \--------------------------------------  
> For recommendations:
> 
> Well, I don't have other instagram accounts but I read a lot of fictions and I discovered the amazing "theternalblue". If you're a Varchie fan, you'll be served with a lot of quality content. My favorites are:  
> \- "Don't be mean" It's just so gooooooooood! And it has even a whole epilogue/ drabble fiction aside called "don't be a meanie"  
> \- "Tell Them I'm Home" , it's not finished yet but it's awesome! I can't wait for the update!  
> -"Too Cold to Hold", I am afraid the writer stopped writing since it hasn't be updated for a while but it's still so good.  
> \- "learn to love"  
> You have domestical, college, post-college Varchie etc.. And that's all I 'll say, not willing to spoil. 
> 
> \- "Babes In the Wood" by MotherMaple ; for Bughead and Varchie lovers. The quality of the dialogues are awesome and you'll genuinely laugh while reading it x)  
> I didn't really read anything else new because I was so caught up in "theeternalblue" 's fictions so that's it. 
> 
> \-------------  
> My all times favorites:  
> 1) "love and loyalties" by monicaposh  
> 2) "Lake Michigan" by andsmile  
> 3) "When did you heart go missing?" by the two ladies above : monicaposh and andsmile (just imagine how good it is when you mix their talent with a little bit of Gossip Girl nostalgia)  
> 4) "Give me All your Midnights" by Tuesdayschildd. I am still waiting for the last chapter :'( . She is CRAZY talented and I love all her works. 
> 
> Honestly, it's almost impossible to pick when their works are equally marvelous and neat. 
> 
> Enjoy the reading!
> 
> Toodles ;) !


	10. Missing Piece

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> Back with a short update. This chapter was supposed to be a lot longer but I am really struggling with inspiration.  
> So, I thought that it's better to post a short chapter than nothing at all! So here it is!
> 
> From the title of this chapter, you can guess that I am dropping the missing piece of that June 17th night to which I referred in Veronica's POV in "Once a Raven Bird, forever a Raven Bird". 
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy it and can't wait to hear your ideas an thoughts for what's coming!

“Let me check your hand!”

Veronica quickly withdraws her hand before Archie grabs it and she shoves him, bleeding palm against his chest, staining his grey t-shirt in crimson red.

He lets himself go as he did before when she hit him with the statuette, staggered by her brutality. Truth is that she barely scratched him with the figurine before it exploded in her hand but the gesture itself was so violent and desperate. Some would call it a cry from the heart and it gets the red-headed man absolutely baffled.

His gaze is hovering back at forth between her face and her palm and Veronica could tell that he was confused, maybe worried too, the soft crease between his eyebrows accentuating.

She is herself is surprised – and slightly disappointed- by her inability to act detached and passive, like she trained herself for the past five years.

The thing is that Archie caught her off-guard, genuinely taken aback by the fact that he knew about the snare her father caught her in five years ago. She could have shut it down if he didn’t dare to accuse her of betrayal when he was the literal embodiment of unfaithfulness and this is exactly what’s she proceeds to scream at his dumb-founded, annoyingly handsome face:

“Listen _, ginger Judas_ I don’t need your pity!”

He cringes at the analogy, certainly remembering that she used this inglorious nickname in other circumstances, and she takes another step back wanting to put as much distance as possible between them but her lower back hits the edge of the sink. Archie takes advantage of it to take another step forward, leaving her no way out.

“Why would you do that Veronica? You have to stop the bleeding! Let me help you find something to…”

He trails off, looking genuinely puzzled and concerned by her injury. Archie tries once again to hold her wrist but Veronica slides her hand behind her back and feels the soft material of the dishcloth. She slips it and quickly wraps it around her palm as if to prove him that she can perfectly handle this without his help.

Blood keeps dripping and quickly soaking the thin cloth. She squeezed the figurine so tight that it’s literally broke in her hand, cutting her deep. But right now, she could care less about the pain when her whole body and soul is shattered glass…

“You” she hisses with a wagging finger at him “take care of your fiancée’s wounds”. She hates that she can’t control the shakiness of her voice and that she’s giving away how affected she is. She promised she wouldn’t allow herself to go there again, to uncover any of her feelings in front of him… And not even twenty-four hours with Archie Andrews and she threw a couple of sob-fest and two arguments where she shoves him in the face all of her resentment.

“Don’t shake your finger in front of my face.” Archie groans behind clenched teeth. “I don’t understand why you broke that thing and which fiancée are you…”

“I am sorry if you can’t keep it as a souvenir” She cuts cynically and before his lips parts again to protest she adds:

“Your glass bride is somewhere in the dishes, between the bowl and the plates”. She turns around and proceeds to search for the bride when Archie grabs her and rotates her. When she’s met back with his eyes, the confusion and worry have made way to something harder, something between frustration and anger.

“Veronica, I don’t know what you’re hinting at to but I am not getting married. _To anyone_ ”

He affirms, loud and clear and she frowns because she can actually read in his eyes that he’s not lying. Does she really know how to read those honey irises or is she fooling herself again?

“If anyone is, it’s Betty and Jughead”. He finishes, releasing his grip.

What does he mean by “Betty and Jughead”? Veronica is astonished by his revelation. She doesn’t have the time to think about it that he’s already asking her:

“What made you think I was getting married? Didn’t you hear Betty singsong about _her_ engagement during breakfast?” He shots an eyebrow like he pointed out an obvious detail.

“I am not deaf, nor blind” She replies scathingly after regaining her ability to speak.

“I heard her and I saw the diamond ring you gifted her” She pokes him on the chest and keeps spitting out with a disgusted pout.

“I don’t know why and how you have the audacity to lie when Cheryl and Reggie told me that you were-”

 _Oh_.

She trails off and he smiles humorlessly at the way her eyes enlarge in a bewildered expression. 

Now, she recalls that Cheryl never mentioned that Archie was the one getting married. She cut her short by telling her she knew it all before her red headed friend could explain what was happening. She just didn’t want to hear the words that would rip her heart out again.

Plus, Reggie said that Archie was _hosting_ the engagement party at his house and Betty was the bride. He never said that Archie was the one getting married!

Not to omit the way he’s grinning so confidently and Betty’s oblivious behavior...

Realization strikes her.

Well, she might have jumped out to the conclusion too quickly…

She’s almost taken aback at the way her heart starts hammering unexpectedly. It likes she’s getting back to life, blood pumping to the numbest part of her body.

“Did you give your tongue to the cat Veronica?” He teases her with mordant wit and it’s so not like Archie to be this sarcastic.

_God_. When did they even start fighting for so long?

A little voice inside her responds to her that it might have begun when she keeps his child a secret…

But then…

“Why would you host an engagement party in the first place?” she asks with the same assurance, arms crossing on her chest, trying to ignore the stabbing pain in her palm. Veronica Lodge is not about to forfeit, especially not when he’s still sporting that cocky smirk.

“I hosted the engagement party to help out Jug and Betty. The announcement of their marriage didn’t collect unanimous support and they wanted a place nearby to celebrate with the inner circle only”

She frowns. Back in the day, before they started being more off than on before Jughead went to Stonewall Prep, Bughead was the ultimate ship. Well, if we ignore the secret Barchie shippers, like Kevin, that were waiting for her and Archie to break up and prove that boy next door and girl next door were meant to be. As if he was reading her mind, Archie started explaining:

“Obviously I am hinting to Betty’s mom. Mrs. Smith thinks Betty is too young, that she just finished her internship with the FBI and she needs to focus on her professional career. It doesn’t help that she is herself in the middle of a breakup with FP…”

Archie runs a hand in his hair and sighs, keeping the same stupid grin on his face:

“I wonder what she’d say about us, with a four-year-old at 22. She’d probably ask Betty to stay away from us like she did back in the days”

He recalls amused but she doesn’t answer and looks at him with the same stern expression. His gaze softens and he smiles at her with that little boyish grin that used to melt her heart and asks her softly:

“Honestly, I don’t know how could you think that I’d be engaged and to Betty? Like of all people, to Betty Cooper? My best friend!” He repeats like it was very hard to imagine this and she can’t help but scoff at his gall.

“Don’t be a hypocrite, Archie Andrews. “

He met the accusation with a scowl.

“Why are you tripping again? You are the one who left me, twice! You broke up with me over a phone call, telling me all those horrible things I didn’t know you felt in the first place “

She bites her tongue, recalling the nasty things Hiram Lodge made her say. She won’t try to defend herself on this one.

“Then I learn from your father that you made that contract with the St Clair and that you’re willing to marry Nick for capital shares”

Of course, Hiram was the one who told Archie, and once again, he lied to her when he came to visit her after Luna’s birth. He said that he had nothing to do with Archie rejecting her but now, she understands better why things went so disastrous and fast. She feels nausea coming back at the memory of that wicked moment, from Hiram’s words to the souvenir of Nick’s hand over her body but Archie keeps going, definitely fired up.

“If I didn’t found yours and Luna’s passport I could swear you married him and you had him give his name to my daughter!”

She doesn’t answer, sinking her teeth in her lower lips to avoid herself from blurting out everything that rushes into her mind. She’s not telling him.

Archie leans closer and when he speaks his voice is lower, strangled, desperate. He’s in pain and she hates that she can’t do anything about it, let alone that she might have provoked it.

“Was Nick going to the ultrasounds of my baby? Did he cut the umbilical cord? Was he there when she made her first steps? When did she say her first words? Does she call him Daddy? Did my daughter ever thought that your fiancé could be her father?”

“I am not engaged to Nicolas St-Clair,” she says in a whisper, gaze dropping to the floor.

“And I made sure Luna never met him”

She knows that she doesn’t owe him any explanation and that it might even be easier to let him think the opposite but it was beyond her strength. Imagining that someone could associate her by any means with that filthy monster was just obnoxious. And she hated to admit that it was even more unbearable to think that this someone could be Archie Andrews, the boy whose opinion she used to value so much.

Plus, she might have deprived him of his daughter but there is no way she’d inflict him the pain to think that he was substituted. If it was her, she wouldn’t bear to know that someone else took her place as Luna’s mother.

Her tone was low but she knows that he heard her because he takes a step back, literally taken aback, and soon asks her:

“What was this contract? Did your father lie to me? Wasn’t it your signature?”

“It’s none of-” she starts faintly but he cuts her:

“ It’s none of my business! Yes, I heard it but I don’t accept it. How many times do you need to repeat it?”

“Until it sticks!” she finally snaps, looking back at him.

“It will never stick! I learned the existence of my almost-four-year-old daughter the day my-” he stutters on the right qualification before pursuing:

” _You_ tried to take your own life. You don’t let me try to help you or understand what happened. Who hit you and why are you doing this to yourself?” He points the precariously bandaged hand.

“That night, you came to tell me you changed your mind about us, and…” he trails off, eyes scrutinizing hers like he could find the answer to an unknown question but she can’t help the accusatory scream that comes out her mouth.

“You didn’t believe me!”

He glowered at her a moment before stating.

“You didn’t fight for us, Veronica! You left and you came back with my daughter, refusing to give me any explanations!”

He raises his hands in defeat.

“And how could you imagine I’d be with Betty? She is-”

“Sweet, cute, easy to speak to, less _complicated_ ”

Archie lifts his eyebrows probably thinking that she’s just being inappropriately jealous but then she blurts out:

“Everything is easier with her when it’s all too complicated with me.”

She pauses, taking the time to carve in his puzzled expression. Eye to eye, lips almost brushing his, Veronica hisses in a mix of disgust and sarcasm:

“ _She’s nothing like Veronica Lodge, an intricate pattern of sass and drama. A hell of a kaleidoscope.”_

_Oh._

**June 17 th – sometime after 11pm **

“ _I am sorry but I can’t let myself go there with you”_

_She keeps replaying in her mind the words she pronounced two years ago, the words that almost cost her Archie. It was in a parking lot like this one and she choose to run away because she was terrified of what he could make her feel, of what he was making her feel._

_In the contrary, Archie seemed so sure about them from the very beginning, so confident that they would work perfectly._

_Well, he had his Geraldine/Valerie phase and she had Chuck but they both knew that they were just distractions because they couldn’t try anything with Betty’s feelings in the mix._

_Although, this irrepressible attraction between them never dissolved and he was the first one she’d spot on the crowd, only to meet his eyes already locked on her._

_She smiles faintly remembering the tension that preceded the kiss they shared on Jughead’s birthday. They let their guards down for one evening and it was like ripping a band-aid, Archie refused to let her go._

_She tried to push him away, to invocate all the reasons he shouldn’t be with her and it was her own way to ask him: Are you sure you won’t regret it? Am I really the one you want?_

_But her very own Wonder Boy persisted, helped her break down every obstacle she had mentioned to keep him away, literally insisted to follow her in her craziest adventures and she finally gave in when he confessed his will to be her soulmate._

_He kept his words, making her happy every single day and everything was perfect between them._

_Yet again, she was the one who runs away when he said those three little words she never heard before: I love you._

_He might have kissed Betty but she knows it was in the blur of the moment, “a Black hood prompted kiss”, “my life is in danger kiss” which meant nothing because he told her he loved her and not Betty._

_And why pretend that saying those three words changed what she was already feeling for him?_

_When her father begun the threat from jail and their life turned to a complete mess, he promised that it wouldn’t change anything between them._

_“Nothing you could say can scare me away, Veronica. I love you and I want to be with you”._

_He never ceased to prove himself as the loyal, kind-hearted, loving boyfriend that he was. Yes, they were destined to each other._

_As she’s knocking on the door, she can’t help but notice that he finally left when she told him to. But it wasn’t because she scared him away or because he stopped loving her, it was because she hurt him and this is exactly the reason why she’s here, on his doorsteps. She‘s going to show him that she can also fight for him, for them, for their endgame._

_She patiently waits a couple of minutes, trying to knock again but nobody answers and she knows that Archie must be home because his truck is parked in the alley._

_She checks the flower pot to find the key Archie hides here but she remembers that he gave it to her and it’s certainly turned to ashes by now._

_What is she going to do now?_

_At this exact moment, she hears the muffled sound of drums and she sighs. Of course, Archie is in the garage playing music. That’s what he does, every time he feels frustrated, sad, or angry._

_Her heart squeezes in her chest because she knows she’s the reason of his sadness and she hates it._

_She discreetly gets around the house. The door is open and it explains why the music reached out from the soundproofed garage._

_She’s about to push the door when a violent final bass hit resonates and she hears a feminine voice exclaim:_

_“Enough Arch! Are you going to keep playing until my ears start bleeding?”_

_Veronica stops dead on her track and years later she’d still wonder what made her stop and not burst in. Instead, her hand stays on the doorknob and her gaze falls on the window glass which in the darkness of the night acts as a mirror to the other side of the room where Archie and Betty are standing._

_“Why didn’t you try to listen to her? Go talk to her! Maybe you’ll understand why she did that!”_

_Veronica’s heart skips a beat when she realizes that they are talking about her and she catches her breath._

_Once again, she could have flung open the door and affront Archie but the curiosity of what he has to say take over. Eavesdropping is not something she usually does but she has to admit that she’s feeling like a coward when it comes to talking and hearing what he thinks may help her with their forthcoming talk._

_“I am not talking to her! I don’t even wanna see her or hear her lies ever again”_

_She can’t deny the pang on her heart and she has to admit that she might have deserted his anger._

_“You’re not seriously thinking that Veronica would lie? She would never!” scoffs Betty, outraged and Veronica can’t help but silently thank god for her best friend, the B to her V, that always has her back._

_“Why not? You didn’t hear the things she told me last week. She basically said that I was a little small town boy that was holding her back and that she had enough of me. It was like speaking to this icy-cold, snobbish version of herself that she supposedly left in Manhattan”_

_Veronica feels her heart sink to the pit of her stomach for what feels like the hundredth time of this never ending night._

_Archie doesn’t believe her. Like her father, he doesn’t believe her. When did she start to appear as a filthy liar to the men in her life?_

_Even worse, he might have never believed that she changed. Even more ridiculously naïve, she thought that Archie never believed in this side of her because he always pretended to and defended her against every person that said the opposite, including their blonde friend here._

_She swallows the sob in her throat and tries to cheer up herself to finally cross this door and try to win him over, patch up his obvious wounds._

_But then she sees in the glass, Archie getting up from his place in the drums and gets closer to Betty, a few inches between them and it makes her strangely uncomfortable._

_Their proximity disturbs her and awakens buried insecurities._

_“Oh, Arch. I am sorry” says Betty, rubbing a hand on Archie’s cheek._

_Why doesn’t she need to touch him like that? She has a weird presentiment like she’s not going to like what she’d hear or see because Archie is now holding Betty’s hands between his._

_She knows he’s drawing little patterns like he does when he’s anxious or pensive, seeking comfort and reassurance. She perfectly knows it because he usually does it when he holds her hands only or when he caresses her back, legs tangled up in the sheets, confessing his feelings about how much he misses his father or how nervous he is to face whatever issues he’s having. She doesn’t like it at all. Archie only gets to touch her like that._

_“Veronica is always making things difficult when it comes to communication. She nods but then she says no, she breaks up with me then she says we’re running out of time, she takes a step forward but then a hundred back. I am really trying to catch the beat, to compromise but I don’t know if she really wants to be with me or if just take her busy like some kind of distraction before she goes back to her real life in New York “_

_Veronica almost scoffs of indignation, definitely replacing the guilt she was feeling previously._

_Archie, the most indecisive person in the whole freaking town of Riverdale and maybe in the whole world, accuses her of being some sort of capricious selfish brat? And how could he think she’s using him when she has literally been fighting for them during the whole year?_

_He knows she relentlessly defended him against his father, put in place numerous traps, and supported him both morally and financially in all his projects and failures. She might not know how to be the perfect girlfriend like Betty but she thought he had seen how she struggled to be good enough. Is she still not worth enough to be loved by someone as good as him?_

_“I don’t know what to believe or what to think and it’s exhausting. Is she lying or is she telling the truth?”_

_The indignation she first felt turns to a mix of anger and sadness bubbling inside her. She wants to swing open the door and scream at him that he is the one who’s proving that he doesn’t know what to think, the one who doesn’t trust her and stains every memory they have together._

_Her breath gets so uneven that her lungs begin to burn and it doesn’t help that Archie keeps spilling out:_

_“When you love someone, you’re not supposed to make things complicated but everything about Veronica is just so complicated”_

_She swallows and tries to calm her jerky breath but it’s pointless, the panic attack she had a couple hours ago is slowly overpowering her again._

_Then, Betty takes a step closer to her boyfriend and whispers tenderly:_

_“Arch, maybe you should try to tell Veronica all those things you feel?”_

_It may sounds like her blonde friend is defending but there is something between them she can’t process right now. She hates to think that he’s connecting to Betty like he does with her. Soon, the acidic bile starts rising as Archie murmurs back._

_“It’s not like that. We’re pretty bad at this”_

_He takes a step closer, closing the gap between them, eyes closed and foreheads glued against each others. There is an intimacy in the moment they seem to share that makes her absolutely unease, out of place but also nauseous and disgusted._

_She’s not meant to see that. She shouldn’t be here and if her legs could respond, she would flee from here and don’t hear or see what Archie thinks of her._

_“It’s so easy to speak with you Betty. You’re nothing like Veronica Lodge, an intricate pattern of sass and drama. A hell of a kaleidoscope”_

_Suddenly, Veronica sees Archie’s reflection leaning closer to Betty’s lips and she automatically takes a step back and then quickly another._

_It’s like her heart stops beating, it’s like she just received a bullet inside her chest, her gaze still hypnotized by the image on the glass. Archie’s lips are brushing Betty’s and she could perfectly imagine how it feels like. His soft lips, his warm breath, his beautiful scent tickling her nose…._

_There is no way she’s going to watch him, watch them betray her._

_She doesn’t think twice and immediately turns back and starts running down the street like she did a couple of hours back. She doesn’t know for how long she has been running in a straight line from Elm Street, then down the canal but she’s standing somewhere near the entrance of Fox Forest, darkness surrounding her._

_Her heart is vaulting to her throat, not feeling anything else but the pain inside her, spreading like venom._

_She lost him. But do we lose what we never had in the first place?_

_She was standing there for at least five minutes but she didn’t see it come. She felt it but she didn’t expect it because it couldn’t be real. He couldn’t betray her._

_Don’t get her wrong. The betrayal part is not what hurts her the most because after all, she was raised to expect betrayal from people around her even if it was him, even if it was both of them._

_Betty was supposed to be her best friend, her confidant, her partner in crime, the girl she vowed to be sisters with._

_Archie was supposed to be her boyfriend, her soulmate, the love of her life, her endgame._

_But above being stabbed in the back, what hurts the most is that she felt caught off guard, she felt surprised, she didn’t expect it when deep inside, she always knew it._

_She shouldn’t have see it coming._

_She always knew that one day he’ll come and tell her that he finally realized that the feelings he mistaken for childhood affection was in reality love, pure love. A love that has nothing to do with the one stained by a criminal father, a mob family and an icy cold preppy bitch. She never compared to something near the relationship he always had with Betty._

_But then he promised that he never felt what he was supposed to with Betty and she believed him._

_He never came to tell her the words she dreaded, she had to watch the feelings simplistically unfold in front of her._

_He asked for her heart and promised to give his in return in the symbolism of a heart shaped locket._

_Yet, she finds herself with a little silver necklace that feels like a rope around her neck and he has her bleeding heart to smash in his hand._

_He stole the love that she saved for herself and she just watched him give it to somebody else._

_“I am sorry but I can’t let myself go there with you”_

_She feels so stupid._

_She definitely shouldn’t have let herself go there with him. He didn’t even notice her presence and wouldn’t notice if she left._

_Now, that’s all she has to do. She’ll just have to disappear forever._

_**End of the Flash-back** _

“Did you give your tongue to the cat, Archie?” she imitates with a defiant grin plastered on her face, although the wound in her heart is reopened raw; as if it ever got close to be stitched anyways.

Archie replaced everything she thought they had in less than two hours.

She always knew that he wasn’t hers but it still hurt. It hurt that night and it kept hurting every day like a never-ending fire in her soul, revived by those pictures her father showed her when the only thing that still linked them together; besides her missing heart; was battling to live.

She had to live with the realization that he could never love her, even if he tried.

Archie doesn’t immediately answer. He looks stupefied, mouth hanging open and eyes wide open. He swallows and finally repeats incredulously.

“That night, the night you left, you came after me”

She doesn’t answer, gaze dropping to her feet and it’s enough of an answer. She feels ridiculous and humiliated all over again.

“But I thought that you-”

“Whatever” she interrupts him, regaining her composure “It doesn’t matter anyways. I saw what I needed to see and I don’t care that you two betrayed me, _one more time_ ”

The dumb founded look on his face changes as if he finally processes the whole situation but she cuts him with the same frenzy before he’d get to think of a response.

“I don’t care that you have the guts to speak about betrayal when you stabbed me in the back”

She pauses and hisses in a lower tone.

“I don’t even care that you’re angry at me because I didn’t tell you about Luna. My only concern today is our daughter and I-”

“Me and Betty didn’t kiss” objects Archie firmly.

“Stop lying to me. I saw you making out with her!” she shoves him but this time he resists her and holds her wrists.

“I don’t know what you saw but if you stayed longer, you’d know we didn’t kiss. We both pulled out before it happened. It wasn’t even a peck!”

She laughs humorlessly and tries to free her wrists.

“Is it how kids call it this day? A peck?”

“I swear on my father’s grave that nothing else happened”

She stops debating, tongue suddenly dry at the evocation of Archie’s father. She has nothing to answer to that. She might be in the middle of a war of resenting with him but she can’t only throw down her weapons because Archie would never swear on his father’s grave if it wasn’t the truth. 

“Obviously, she was in love with Jughead and I-”

He cups her face between his big hands and she doesn’t find in herself the strength to push him away. She hates that she’s melting at his touch. She hates that she craved it so much.

Tears start trickling again along her cheeks and she’s lost in his soft honey irises. His eyes are welling up too and he looks at her so earnestly that she’s willing to believe everything he has to say.

“Yes, I said that you were a hell of a kaleidoscope with so many changing patterns and reflections but that no matter how complicated things get between us, I could never imagine a life without you and all the beautiful colors you put in my life. That I didn’t want it any other way because…”

His thumb wipes out one of her tears and she closes her eyes, the emotions in his eyes being too much to bear. She doesn’t want to believe that she knows what this gaze means.

“You were, and always been, the only one for me, Ronnie”

She gasps for air when she hears the nickname and her lungs are on fire like she didn’t inhale during the past five years. Her heart rate picks up significantly and she could swear she's hearing it against her chest. 

Her eyes flew open and she’s met with the beautiful sight of his shinning earnest pupils and his little shy smile. 

Archie presses his forehead against hers and between two sobs, she takes another deep breath because now she finally can. She’s pleasantly met with his beautiful scent and her whole body is covered with goosebumps. He must have felt the same thing because it's his turn to close his eyes and inhale heavily, an expression of pure delight painted on his face.

She kisses him. She doesn’t know at which moment exactly she lost her self-control if it was his smell, the look on his face, his touch against her cheeks, the build-up tension, or just how much she fucking craved it, but she smashes her lips hard against his. It doesn’t take Archie half a second before answering her kiss urgently. First, it’s a simple kiss but then he tenderly sucks on her bottom lip and her response is just body memory. He might tastes like salty water because of their combined tears but this kiss still set off a fire that ignites both of them.

She no longer knows what they were fighting about. She no longer knows what she’s doing in this house or how long has she been away from it, from him.

She forgets everything around her until they have to separate to gasp for air.

Panting against her lips, Archie breathes out:

“I missed you so much, Ronnie”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TADAM!  
> I told you that I 'll really try to dive into the fluff after some very needed heated-discussion.  
> First of all, I have to apologize because I really don't know how to describe or write the kissing scene and I hope I didn't ruin it.  
> Now, Archie knows that Veronica is not engaged to Nick St-Clair and Veronica knows that Archie is not with Betty. He finally called her Ronnie and it's just priceless!  
> So, where do Archie and Veronica go from here?  
> I won't say much but just know that next chapter we'll welcome a new character we didn't get to see until now and I hope you'll appreciate it. 
> 
> About the recommendations, honestly nothing new. I keep re-reading Tuesdayschildd and monicaposh's works and @weheartvarchie on Instagram. Her last AU called Afterglow is angsty and I love it. 
> 
> Toodles ;) !


	11. Breathless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> It's been almost 20 days since the last update and I am really sorry.  
> I've really been struggling with my muse lately. 
> 
> Those who follow me on Tumblr know what I mean, I posted a little message.
> 
> As a result I thought I'll just drop this fiction for a couple more weeks until I 'll figure out how to introduce properly the events and revelations I have in mind but it didn't feel right to let you without a short update.

As soon as they hear a sharp knock on the door, they quickly pull away, panting.

 _That_ wasn’t expected. _That_ wasn’t supposed to happen. Not like that. Not right now.

But, _it_ happened.

He’d want to regret it. However, he doesn’t. Not a bit.

How could he regret the softness of her lips against his?

He instantly melted at her contact, being famished from her sweet taste for what feels like an eternity.

Four years and a half without Veronica Lodge undoubtedly feels like an eternity.

An eternal coma from which she extirpated him with a passionate kiss.

Archie tries to lock eyes with Veronica but she’s avoiding his gaze, fiddling with the dishcloth in her palm. It quickly shifts his attention and he gently pulls her hand to see if the bleeding stopped. Surprisingly, she doesn’t resist and opens her palm.

Thanks God, the bleeding has stopped and there is no apparent glass breaks on the injuries.

“If you’re looking for wounds, mine are inner” she lets out in a choked murmur. He looks up to her face and she’s finally looking at him, eyes full of tears.

She’s not resentful. She’s sincere, unfiltered, uncovered. Vulnerable.

She’s in pain. A pain that is much more than just physical.

It crushes him.

He opens his mouth to say something, anything that could help him froze this moment where she seems to be ready to open up but the knock on the door is more impatient. He totally forgot about that.

“Since when Betty bothers to knock…” he mumbles and it might not have been the smartest thing to say because Veronica tenses up and immediately pulls her hand away.

She’s looking down to the new space she established between them and his hand is still hanging to reach for hers when she murmurs: 

“I am sorry, I shouldn’t have…”

He’s taken aback by the way she, just as suddenly, retreated in her shell. She turns back to the sink and fumbles through the dishes to take a glass of water and he stays frozen.

Whatever was happening is gone.

A part of him wants to beat himself for mentioning Betty at this exact instant and another part of him wants to go after the person behind the door for ruining their moment.

A moment that Archie too, knows shouldn’t have happened. Kissing is definitely not the smartest thing to do considering they had unresolved and very serious issues to sort but...

“Archie!“ 

It snaps him into reality.

“That’s my mom” he says when he recognizes the voice reaching from outside “She arrived”

Veronica, having quickly gained back her composure, replies:

“That’s perfect. I’ll let you speak with her first. Do you have my phone? I need to call back Hermosa.”

“Yes, of course” he shoves the phone from the pocket of his sweat pants and she quickly grabs it and rushes to the backyard’s door.

Archie sighs. She’s running away again.

His mother is getting more impatient at the door and he runs to open it. He doesn’t even completely open the door that she is already scolding him:

“What take you all this time? I-“ She pauses and her bewildered gaze stops somewhere on his chest.

“What is this? Are you hurt?”

He then notices that she was pointing out to the left side of his shirt where Veronica left blood stains.

It reminds him that he didn’t even convince her to stitch up her wound correctly.

“Don’t panic mom. It’s not mine”

It’s doesn’t reassure Mary a bit and her eyebrows furrows in that hard expression she used to have when he was in high school and entered illegal boxing fights to try to impress Hiram Lodge. Another stupid mistake he made, the man was obviously never trying to get to know him or respect him.

“It’s Veronica’s. We fought” he responds sternly. Now she looks shocked.

“You didn’t-“She stutters. By the way her jaw drops open, Archie understands what she means and it both scandalizes and horrifies him.

“Of course not! I would never! For some odd reason, she thought I was marrying Betty and she shove that stupid statuette to my face and ended up hurting herself” He explains in one go, how could his mother think that he’d simply be able to hurt a woman? And physically!

Let alone the fact that, of all people, it’d be Ronnie...

Mary scowls and basically pushes him to the side, entering the house with her small luggage rolling behind her. He doesn’t understand her brutal change until she starts screaming when she reaches the kitchen:

“Where is she?” She looks around like she expects Veronica to jump out of a corner

“I am not feeding you to this girl” She pauses “Again”

“I’ll never forget the state you were when she left to live her best life of-”

“Mom, stop it.” He cuts her sharply and its gets her to turn back and face him.

Archie sighs, running his hand on his hair. That’s it. That’s the moment he’s going to admit to his mother that he also messed up at some point. That he let the girl he loved leave while pregnant with his own baby.

Where does he begin? Is there any good way to announce her that she had a grandchild they didn’t know about?

Mary’s frown turns to a softer expression and she holds his face in her hands like she used to do when he was a little boy:

“You look tired. Did you even sleep?”

He knows that she perfectly understood that the redness of his eyes isn’t just because he had a sleepless night but also because he cried. He’s glad she doesn’t mention anything about it.

“I didn’t” he responds sincerely and Archie doesn’t know how next second he breaks down in his mother’s arms. She pulls him closer and hugs him tightly.

“What did she do to you?” she asks in a murmur and he can’t contain his sobs.

“Mom… She tried to kill herself”

It’s not about whatever she caused to him five years ago. It’s about that scorching, unbearable pain to see her in such desperate state, struggling in what she described as a dead end.

Mary pulls him back to look him in the eyes and he knows that despite how angry she is against Veronica for breaking his heart, she’s genuinely worried.

“Oh my god! What made her do that? Is she okay? Where is she?”

Mary and Veronica have built a very special bond after his father died, the raven haired girl supporting them both emotionally and financially in the whole process.

Veronica looked a lot like Mary, more than he ever did- he physically looked like his mother but was a copy of Fred in so many aspects of his personality.

However, Veronica was like his mother in so many ways: brilliant, smart, bossy, a firm protective of her loved ones, cold on the outside but igniting in the inside, a penchant for outspokenness and sarcasm. She was strong, selfless, kind hearted and he could still go on and on.

She was almost like the daughter his mother never had and probably wished for.

The resemblance going to the fact that they both left him…

Archie sniffs and tries to sooth his mother’s panic.

“Don’t worry, she’s in the backyard. She is making a call”

Mary bites her lip nervously and peaks from her spot to the windows but it’s pointless, she’s too far to see anything.

“I don’t know how but I convinced her not to jump out the bridge and last moment she slipped and I thought I’d never be able to pull her, never be able to see her again, to” he trails off, the images still frightfully vivid in his mind.

“The Bridge? Like in the Raven bird mystery?” gasps Mary.

He’s not surprised, everybody in Riverdale heard about that story. Even if his mother lives in Chicago, she was not spared from this urban legend, especially when it involved her son as the starring male hero he definitely wasn’t. Archie also knows that his friends and apparently his mother too, made their best to not raise the subject, Betty particularly, considering that her mother was the one who printed the paper.

“The worst thing is that I am not sure that it was the first time. She might have done it five years ago and it’s my fault. If I…” he trails off but his mother vigorously objects:

“That’s not your fault! Why would it be?”

He doesn’t answer her question because right now, there are still things he doesn’t know and others he’s ashamed of.

What if Veronica was saying the truth and she signed that contract only to save him?

What if she truly wanted to run with him and he turned her down to almost do what he did with Betty?

What if because of what she has seen she really attempted to kill herself?

What if it’s his fault and only his, if he didn’t get to know his daughter?

What if he had done things differently then how he did?

There are too many what ifs to handle right now and he sits for the facts.

“I don’t know what happened mom but I know she is in serious danger.”

His mother looks at him expectantly, eyes as big as saucers, and he forces himself to vocalize the thoughts that have been haunting him:

“She got beaten. She has cuts and bruises all over her arm and strangulation marks on her neck like someone tried to s-“

“What?” Mary interrupts him, jaw dropped and a hand raised to her chest in disbelief.

Archie can see that his words ignited a fire in his mother’s eyes. The lawyer, the woman, the friend and the mother jump out all at once, ready to defend the raven haired girl.

“Is it why you called me? Does she want to press charges?”

Archie rubs his eyes and lets out:

“I wish…” He sighs heavily before adding “but I don’t think so”.

His mother shoots her eyebrows anxiously, waiting for him to give more explanations.

“She doesn’t want to tell me who did that to her or why she had to run away. She keeps repeating that it’s none of my business and doesn’t let me help her.”

He pauses, remembering how she almost opened up before retreating.

“She’s trying her best to keep her composure but if you’d see her, it’s like the Veronica Lodge we know disappeared. She’s hurt, she’s suffering…”

Hearing himself pronounce this words out loud hits differently. It makes it more real, more unbearable.

“Poor girl, I am sure that whatever it is, it’s linked to Hiram Lodge. That man is a monster and he sure has made her life a hell. Who would do that to his own daughter?”

Archie’s jaw clenches and he nods. He might have laid eyes on Luna for the first time less than twenty four hours ago but he knows that beyond giving his own life, he could kill just for the sake of having her happy and healthy. The thought of Luna remembers him that he didn’t approach the heart of the conversation yet but Mary keeps up: 

“If she escaped to Riverdale and tried to commit suicide that must be serious. Veronica is not this kind of girl. She spent your whole senior year trying to outsmart him. She’s a fighter.”

Mary pouts.

“But what I don’t understand is why would she come back to Riverdale to refuse help? It doesn’t make sense.”

That’s his cue. He is going to tell her about Luna.

“Actually, I-“ He starts but once again, Mary cuts him, eyes throwing daggers at an invisible Hiram Lodge behind him:

“Listen Archie, I won’t support you being pummeled but I promise you I won’t let her go back without making sure she’s in security”

Archie groans.

“There is no way I let her go anywhere. I’ll protect them”

Mary half nods before frowning.

“Them? Who is “them”?”

He didn’t mean to throw it like that but he has to face the real heart of the subject. He doesn’t know how his mother is going to react.

Technically, it’s not like he’s still an 18 years old that made his 17 years old girlfriend pregnant, but still…

He breaths and gathers his courage.

“It’s the actual reason why Ronnie wanted you to come”

It is still strange that he’s using that nickname so easily after spending the whole night avoiding it to slip out from his mouth, afraid that it will ignite a searing pain.

“You’d better take a seat” he says, motioning the chair by the island while he’s standing uncomfortably at the kitchen’s entry.

Mary mechanically does as told but tilts an eyebrow puzzled at the gravity in Archie’s tone.

“First, I’d want to tell you that I swear I had absolutely no idea she was…“

He stutters at the word “pregnant” when it dies in his throat as they hear the door behind him slams open and Mary’s face lights up in surprise and-

“Betty!” - Delight.

Archie closes his eyes and doesn’t turn immediately. If Betty is here that means she brought back Luna and he didn’t even get the chance to speak to his mother first.

Whatever dreads he had instantly dissolves at the second he hears sobs and he immediately turns back. His mother is hugging Betty who holds an obviously crying Luna in his arms.

“What happened?” he groans, heart pounding hard against his chest, and in two steps he is next to them. Betty looks at him apologetically and frees the little girl from her hold. As soon as she’s perched on his hip, Luna immediately wraps her arms around his neck and buries her head in his chest.

“Oh. I was going to congratulate you for your engagement but who’s that little crying cutie? I thought your niece was older!” questions Mary, wiggling an eyebrow at Luna in Archie’s arms.

Archie swallows and rubs Luna’s back in attempt to reassure her. In the corner of his eyes, Betty looks back and forth him and then at his mother’s puzzled expression, realizing Mary Andrews still doesn’t know about her grandchild. The blonde girl looks utterly panicked and he knows that If the ground could crack open, she’d happily burry herself in. 

At this exact moment, the embarrassment of his best friend is the last of his concerns as he feels his daughter’s tears wetting his t-shirt. Instead he tightens his embrace, jaw clenched and repeats louder. 

“What happened to Luna? Why did you bring her back in this state?”

Betty winces and his mother looks at him with bewildered eyes. 

He didn’t mean to scream at his friend or to sound accusing but right now, it’s out of his control. Luna’s breath is quicker and irregular against his neck, her little arms tightly clutching around him. It scares and hurts him.

“I am sorry if I interrupted Arch, Juni pushed Luna” Betty makes a face before finishing “She didn’t like that Luna’s got all of Dagwood’s attention”.

He can easily picture the mini Cheryl being jealous on whoever took her twin’s brother’s attention but he can’t stand the thought of his daughter being hurt. He sighs and Betty apologizes one more time.

“Luna started crying and I didn’t know how to stop it. She kept asking for her mother…”

Archie tries to keep in perspective that the Blossom evil twin and his daughter are just children that fight, fall and cry.

“That’s okay Betts, that’s not your fault.”

It’s really isn’t Betty’s fault or anyone’s.

Does it soothe the ache in his chest when he sees big watery pearls rolling in his daughter’s perfect little rosy cheeks?

No.

Archie slightly pulls Luna’s head to have a better sight at her face and he tries to reassure her:

“That’s okay Lulu. Don’t cry, I got you. Where does it hurt you?”

Luna doesn’t stop crying and looks up at him with her big wet eyes and he feels his heart cracks open. That’s definitely a sight he hates, just like seeing Veronica crying or hurting.

“I want Mommy” she mumbles back between hiccups, eyes pleading.

“Of course baby”

At this moment, he wouldn’t refuse her the world if she asked for it.

When Archie looks up, ready to cross the kitchen to the backyard, he’s met with his mother’s puzzled expression. 

That must be a strange sight for his mother, seeing him so familiar with what is for her, a little stranger. He doesn’t think she ever saw him hold kids.

Honestly, he doesn’t even know if he ever did. 

His mother looks at him, both eyebrows arching before asking **the** question:

“Archie, who is this little girl? And who is her “Mommy”?”

He swallows and the mention of the “mommy” makes Luna turns her face to Mary’s direction.

“That’s-“

He immediately stops when he notices the look on his mother’s face completely changes. She looks back and forth at the little girl’s face and at Archie’s, eyes widening and breathes out:

“Veronica…” 

Archie knows that his mother immediately caught the huge resemblance between Ronnie and Luna, much quicker than him.

She makes a step towards them, gaze glued on Luna’s face, then another until she’s able to reach for the little girl’s cheek. Although she’s still crying, Luna doesn’t pull away to bury her face in his neck like he noticed she does every time she’s afraid or shy.

Finally, Mary looks up at him, piercing gaze before murmuring:

“She has your eyes, Archie…”

Now, he’s genuinely taken aback. It took five seconds to his mother to notice and stupid as he is, he screamed at Veronica’s face that he doubted that Luna was his daughter. Even if he never believed it, he still feels guilty.

“And your hair…”

Mary swallows and looks back and forth between him and Luna, having already made the link.

“That’s your-“She stutters, unable to put into words what her brain is hardly deducing.

“My daughter” Archie finally finds the courage to finish.

“I mean Veronica and I’s daughter. Luna” he specifies for good measure.

He has barely the time to process his mother’s expression when he’s alerted by Luna who is now severely coughing.

“What’s happening?” almost screams Mary when Luna’s chesty cough turn to a worrying wheezing. 

“Luna! Are you okay, baby?” he asks panicked but she doesn’t answer, breathe short.

“Lay her down” screams Betty.

He doesn’t know how his legs carry him to the couch but he does as told.

“Speak to me Luna” he tries but she’s gasping for air and mumbles “mama” between coughs.

“Did she choke on something?” scream-asks his mother but Archie is unable to answer as he doesn’t understand how her sobs turned to something so… terrifying. He thinks that the air has left his lungs when he sees Luna’s eyes roll.

“We have to take her to the hospital!”

His mother’s instruction seem to bring him some sense as Archie picks Luna and speeds up to the front door, begging his little girl to stay awake. 

“Where is Veronica?” asks Betty and Mary points out the kitchen, unable to speak.

Betty immediately rushes out but she doesn’t reach the door that the backyard’s door flies open and Veronica burst in the kitchen:

“Is it Luna I heard crying?”

She stops dead on her track when she first notices Mary Andrews in the hallway then her gaze drops to Luna in Archie’s arms and she gasps, eyes widening.

“I don’t know what happened but she can’t breathe” he tries to explain but next second, she’s taking the little girl from his arms to lay her on the ground. He tries to protests that they have to go to the hospital but she yells at him to go bring her bag.

He doesn’t know if it’s the adrenaline or the excruciating pain of seeing his daughter half unconscious and gasping for air but he does as told and gets back with the said leather bag within fifteen seconds.

He drops it next to Veronica and feels his heart sink in his chest when he sees Luna’s lips turn to a lighter shade of pink.

“Why aren’t we going to the hospital?” he lets out, completely freaked out and trying to pick Luna. Veronica blocks his arms and fumbles in the bag for a second before taking out a small green plastic tube. Compared to him, Veronica looks so calm and composed like their daughter isn’t fucking struggling to breathe.

“Come on! Veronica! We have to go!” he repeats but she ignores him and shoves the tube inside Luna’s mouth.

“Come on, baby girl. Inhale! One puff, four breaths” she murmurs, while pushing back the strands of orange curls on Luna’s forehead.

His mother and Betty are crying and he might be as well, if he could feel anything else than the pounding of his heart against his ribcage.

Luna looks so small, laid on the ground, her little head resting on Veronica’s lap. She is so tiny, so little, so weak. She is still a little girl, a baby. _His_ little baby. He can’t lose her…

“She’s not waking up! Stop being stubborn!“

He is fuming. Why is he even trying to convince her that she doesn’t get to improvise herself doctor?

He is about to put an arm under his daughter’s head to pick her up but Veronica once against, pushes his hand.

“I am not letting you-“

He starts protesting virulently but Veronica finally snaps and glances at him, dark pupils throwing thunderstorms.

“Stop acting like you know better than I do! Did you forget I am her mother?”

She pauses for a second to push one more time on the little plastic tube, humming at Luna to breathe, before looking back at him.

“I took care of her since she was born and I perfectly know what I am doing so step aside and make room for _our_ daughter to breathe”

He has nothing to answer to that.

He feels Betty and his mother pull him from above Luna’s face and he lets himself go but holding his little girl’s tiny hand in his. After what seems more like an eternity than four minutes, Luna finally gasps and her eyelids flutters before she opens them wide. Archie heaves a relieved sigh.

“Mama” she whines when she recognizes her mother and Veronica smiles at her, finally allowing tears to trickle down her face. Whatever she did worked because their daughter is finally breathing at a normal pace. How did he doubt Veronica Lodge?

“You are amazing” breathes out Archie. Veronica throws him a quick glance and Archie feels his neck and cheeks get flushed because he didn’t really want to say it out loud.

“Hi baby” greets Veronica with a wet laugh, cradling the little girl’s face and kissing her forehead.

Luna smiles back and wraps her tiny fingers around Veronica’s wrist.

They exchange a glance and Veronica starts kissing her all over her face like she did few hours ago when Luna was reluctant to go with Betty. If he knew that it would trigger whatever happened, he wouldn’t have let her go. 

“I am sorry, baby” repeats Veronica for the third time and Archie wonders why she’s apologizing.

“I am okay, Mommy” answers the little girl as she’s the one who needs to reassure the adult and it’s just confirms what he already knew: His daughter is incredible.

He has to release the little hand he was pressing when Luna leans up to hug her mother, tiny fingers caressing Veronica’s raven locks delicately.

It melts his heart and cracks it at the same time. Veronica was right. She is her mother, took care of her since she was born and she’s the only parent she knows. He’ll never have the same complicity but it doesn’t matter, as long as she’s healthy and safe. But then...

“Daddy…”

Luna turns back to face him and reaches to hold back his hand and by the way her doll eyes looks at him expectantly he understands her silent request and leans in for the second group hug of the morning. It still is the best thing in the world until Luna gasps and screams, holding her mother’s wounded hand:

“The shady man did that to you Mommy?”

Veronica looks up at a frowning Archie. She swallows and whispers back that she hurt herself when she was making the dishes. 

“Call Celine, Mama!” exclaims Luna, lips pursed in worry, and Archie recognizes Veronica’s bossy tone but that’s not what catches his attention.

“Who is Celine, Lulu?” he purposefully asks Luna, not willing to let it slide this time. Veronica looks up, eyes wide like saucers.

“My friend”

“Mummy’s nurse”

Respond at the same time Luna and Veronica.

“Why did you need a nurse?“

“Are we really going to discuss this” objects Veronica “also…?” Her sharp eyebrows are wiggling towards Luna who looks at them curiously.

It’s clearly not the right time to submit Veronica to an interrogation in front of their daughter who just had a…What was it exactly?

He doesn’t add a word and stands up, offering a hand to Veronica. She accepts it but doesn’t look at him.

“You’re sure you don’t need to take her to the hospital?” asks his mother’s voice worryingly. 

It then he notices that they weren’t alone in their bubble. His mother and Betty are still here, looking at them, tears drying on their cheeks. They look still a little bit panicked.

The blonde girl is looking at Veronica sheepishly, cheeks flushed and he doesn’t understand why until she says, voice full of tears.

“V, I am so sorry, Juni pushed her and she starts crying. I didn’t know what to do and I brought her. She started coughing and” Betty trails off, choking on a sob.

“You don’t need to apologize Betty. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine. I forgot to put her inhalator in her pocket” replies Veronica with a little smile, patting Betty’s forearm.

“You couldn’t know she was sick.”

_Sick_.

His daughter is sick and he didn’t know about that.

_What does he even know?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here is Chapter 11!  
> Once again, this chapter was supposed to be longer but I feel like I am piling up the events. On another level, I feel like I can't do otherwise cause Veronica is meant to be in a rush, escaping from danger. 
> 
> Also, there is so many interactions I want to write about: Veronica-Jughead ; Veronica-Cheryl; Veronica-Betty; Archie-Lulu etc. 
> 
> If you write too, don't hesitate to reach out and propose me your ideas! x) 
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Toodles ;)


	12. Stormy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't even try to say much here because I know you guys are too eager to dive into the new chapter! hope it was worth the wait!

“When did you plan on telling me that?” he hisses, nostrils flaring.

He can’t help the harshness of his tone, anger and frustration bubbling inside him. All three women turn towards him, wearing the same “what do you mean?” expression.

“When were you planning on telling me that my daughter was sick?” he repeats, clearly directing the question towards Veronica. She opens her mouth in surprise as she didn’t expect this new outburst of hostility. Her stupefaction lasts only a second before the raven haired woman glares at him, lips pinched and fires back sharp and quick: 

“Parenting isn’t some sort of handbook with a list of knowledge you teach”

She pauses and studies his grim expression before adding:

“You’ll learn about your daughter step by step, by being _truly_ present for your child”

Archie almost sneers at her gall.

“It’s not _my_ fault if I wasn’t giving the choice to be present for my child” he strikes back bitterly.

She seriously doesn’t think that she has the right, or is in the position, to reproach him the presence _she_ purposefully denied him during all those years? Because she _definitely_ hasn’t.

Not when she’s refusing to give him more explanation about why she disappeared overnight, other than witnessing that stupid kiss with Betty that didn’t even happen.

Realizing that the news of his daughter’s condition is just another dark threatening cloud of unanswered questions that Veronica allows to hover above his head makes something snap inside him.

“I’ll remember you that I wasn’t the one who was standing on a guardrail, ready to jump out of a bridge, leaving her child behind her!” he cynically points out, glowering at her.

“Archie!” protest his mother and Betty, seemingly outraged and he doesn’t understand why they look so indignant when he’s only recalling what happened a couple hours ago.

“You don’t know what you’re saying! You’re angry but you shouldn’t say that in f-“starts his mother, putting a hand on his shoulder but he dismisses it.

“Don’t lecture me about what I should or shouldn’t say!”

Of course he’s the bad guy for speaking the truth. Veronica can stand in front of him and put it all on his behalf while she’s still refusing to justify any of her actions, starting from the fact she never told him that she was pregnant with his child. 

He ignores the two other women in the room that are getting between them and keeps staring at Veronica behind Betty’s shoulder.

She doesn’t reply, silently glaring at him with a similar pissed expression. Her front teeth is worrying her bottom lip like she’s holding herself back from spilling out whatever she has in mind and it’s exactly what Archie is aiming to.

If therapy has taught him anything, it’s that people tend to reveal more when they’re angry, or drunk for a matter of fact, and if it’s the only way he has to get to the bottom of it, he might as well get to the end of his thoughts.

“Mom, if you want to lecture someone in this room, you should start with Veronica. Ask her how she was planning to be present for her child? Or how would have I known about my daughter’s illness or whatever is supposed to be done in this situation if she made _the big jump_?”

“Archie, you don’t want to do this…” starts his mother, eyes pleading him to stop but he keeps up, voice raising even more:

“God damn it! Ask her how could she leave and hide all this secrets during five years?!” his voice breaks when he murmurs again:

“Five freaking years…”

He throws up his hands in the air in a show of his helplessness without taking his eyes off Veronica’s face. It’s then he sees something in her fierce confidence flicker and he follows her gaze that drops a second to her feet. She eventually looks back at him but he doesn’t, eyes glued on the little silhouette he just noticed behind Veronica’s legs.

Luna was still very much with them, arms clutched around her mother’s legs like the first time he met her on the porch, not even 24 hours ago. She’s looking at him with her big doll eyes glistening, half apprehensively and half curiously and he immediately feels guilty.

He instantly knows he messed up and he can read in her innocent eyes that he’s back being the scary stranger he truly is. Realization stirs an awful feeling in his chest.

He totally forgot about her and now he understands why his mother and Betty were pleading him to shut up.

Not only did he bring up Veronica’s suicide attempt to vindicate her but he did it in front of their daughter.

 _He’s a screw up_.

“I am-“he starts to mumble but he doesn’t really know what he can say to make it up and instead he finds himself opening and closing his mouth like a fish. His miserable rambling seem to untie Veronica’s tongue as she cuts him with a scoff.

“Of course, It’s always so convenient for me to be the villain, isn’t it Archie?”

He doesn’t answer.

“V, don’t…”tries Betty but Veronica keeps up, eyes narrowing at him.

“I made many mistakes Archie Andrews, I don’t deny them and I take full responsibility of them but I am sick and tired of hearing you heap reproaches at me like I am the only one responsible of what happened!”

Precisely, he wants to know the whole truth. What did he do that leaded them to this impossible situation? What did he do so wrong to be punished that way? To what extent did he hurt her to not deserve to know about his child?

He wants to ask all these questions but his tongue is tied and he can’t take his eyes off Luna’s.

Archie knows that just like him, despite having Luna holding to her, Veronica has momentarily forgotten about the presence of their daughter in the room because of the reaction he selfishly intended to provoke. He doesn’t get to dwell on his culpability or point out the little girl’s presence that Veronica strings:

“Do you even hear yourself? You didn’t want to know what kind of illness our daughter has. You immediately searched for something to blame me for because that’s what you do best!”

It stings because once again Veronica is right.

The stir in his chest transforms to something bigger, a lot more awful and uglier….

He allowed the hideous anger and frustration inside him dominate him instead of trying to just… _understand_.

“You screw it up and then you search for a scapegoat!” she keeps screaming and adds a little breathless: “You always do!”

He can’t bring himself to look at her because the accusatory look in her eyes is too much to bear. 

“Kids, that’s too much drama. You’re saying things you shouldn’t…” starts to scold his mother in a weak attempt to ease the tension despite the fact that the air is so thick that you could cut it with a knife.

Betty takes a step towards a twitching Veronica and reaches for her shoulder but the raven haired girl raises her hand in denial before the blonde girl gets to touch her.

If he wanted to unleash her wrath, he definitely succeeded. It doesn’t feel any better at all. Veronica’s face is so uncommonly red that it looks like she’s about to burst in flames, his mother is looking back and forth at them like she’s trying to figure out how to end it all and the worst thing is that Luna is silently looking up to her mother, eyes even more glistening, seconds away of tearing up.

He’s definitely not going to allow it.

“Ronnie…I shouldn’t have brought up what happened last night…” he starts softly, sincerely sorry, but she cuts him.

“Save it Archie!”

Veronica closes her eyes and when she opens them, the residual wrath is replaced by tears and he hates himself even more. It’s almost impossible to imagine that a couple minutes ago, their lips were sealed together, tongue and tears intertwined, melting in each other’s embrace.

Somehow, it’s always been like that between them, reaching the highest of high before digging their pit.

“You can’t just say whatever passes your mind and then apologize for it. You’ve done that at least three times since I came here” She pauses and before she adds anything, his whole body stiffens in shame and guilt when he recalls that moment in the guest room when he…

“One that includes accusing me of _paternity fraud_ ”

 _Here it is_.

His mother and Betty gasp in disbelief and he feels even more ashamed if possibly. He’s not the only one in this hallway that knows Veronica Lodge.

When the Lodges first arrived in Riverdale, most people had their bias about the New York family and their twisted morals, Jughead more than anybody else. Indeed, it was confirmed that Hiram and Hermione were ready to do anything to gain more power and money for their shady mob activities as they tried to turn Riverdale to a jail- slash- drug lab.

But Veronica was nothing like her parents and despite hearing her recall that she used to be ten times worst than Cheryl before they got here, he could never believe it. If she really wanted to turn to a better version of herself, she definitely succeeded. She sure had her tricks to always get what she wanted but Veronica always made sure not to hurt anybody that doesn’t deserve it in the process. She despised injustice and made everything to repair her family’s doing, starting with the Muggs, even if it meant putting herself in danger. Even the more reticent people like his best friend, recognized in her an ultimately proud, extremely loyal girl and definitely not a liar.

She brushed it off last night when he apologized but now he’s sure it hurt her and if he had to be honest with himself, which women wouldn’t be affected if she was accused of lying about the identity of her father's child? 

He screwed up masterfully on this one. Betty and his mother know it too because they don’t say a word.

Archie meets Betty’s sympathetic gaze and she has that little smile that says “I know it sucks right now but it’s going to be okay”. He feels sorry for his best friend because she clearly is trying to reassure him while still struggling to get to Veronica. He nods at her to tell her not to worry because he’s not planning to make it worse than he already did.

When he looks back at Veronica, she’s gazing back at them, having caught their silent interaction. She makes a face between bewilderment and _something_ that he can’t pin point before a small crease appears between her brows. He just has the time to catch that _something_ darkening her expression when she lets out softly but assuredly:

“I am truly sorry that I didn’t tell you about your daughter before and that I disappeared overnight”

She pauses and for a moment Archie thinks she might stop at this but Veronica sticks an accusatory finger at him and then at Betty:

“But you can’t feel sorry for yourself when you chose to suck faces with my ex-best friend while I was spending sleepless nights in the hospital taking care of our daughter. _Alone_.”

Betty makes a sound like a squeak and takes a step back like she was physically punched by Veronica’s words.

Archie’s not feeling any better. He would have actually preferred that she stabbed him with the statuette over and over again until she reaches the place inside him that she left burning and bleeding so many years ago.

He doesn’t know what takes him most aback the fact she still thinks that something happened between Betty and him, the new piece of information about his daughter’s health or the way she pronounces the last word like she’s reproaching him of thinking that she was with someone else. Like she was accusing him of having quickly moved on with Betty just after their break up when he clearly didn’t!

“I thought I was clear! Betty and I didn’t kiss! We-“he tries to explain but she cuts him short.

“Whatever! I don’t care, you both do whatever you want but you don’t get to play victim and blame it all on me!”

He’s about to answer when he suddenly hears a small hiccup and Luna is running from behind Veronica’s legs, straight to the living room where she disappears.

A quick glance to Veronica’s face informs him that she’s just as taken aback as he is and they immediately move together.

The small whimper coming from the adjoining room inform them that Luna is hiding under the dining table, knees brought up to her head, her little body shaking.

He instantly wants to join his daughter and comfort her but his mother who looks just as furious as Veronica a couple seconds ago, stands up in front of them, blocking their way and scolds:

“Archie, Veronica, I hope you’re happy with what you did! You scared the little on!” then more slowly, as if she’s trying to control her own voice of rising:

“You _obviously_ have a hell of things to discuss, explain and sort out, but” she pauses and her eyes widen in emphasis “I definitely don’t think that throwing shades or yelling at each other is helping in any kind of way” she glares at them before adding “especially not in front of a child” She swallows as if she’s trying to digest the information “your child”

They stand still for a second, heads down and he feels like he is back being a little boy and processing his mother’s scolding and he knows they deserved this one. Veronica is the first one to move, mumbling something like “Sorry Mrs. Andrews” before rushing to the dining room. He’s about to follow her but:

“I think you should take a minute to cool down on your own side and reflect on what you started. Let Veronica handle it”

Long gone is the mother who crossed the door steps ready to defend him against Veronica.

It’s slightly unfair that Archie is the only one taken accountable for what they both did and he doesn’t know what provoked that sudden change of heart.

He wants to go against his mother’s warning and make sure his daughter is fine but the glare she shots him before heading behind Veronica stops him dead in his tracks.

He’s frozen, watching Veronica trying to make Luna get out of under the table but the little girl is crying and his heart breaks all over again.

When will he stop screwing up everything and hurt the people he loves?

He’s also very much afraid that Luna is going to have another crisis like the one she just overcome.

“What did she mean?”

Betty’s soft whisper startles him. He turns back to see that his friend didn’t move from her spot in the hallway, gaze dropped to her feet and fist curled. It takes him a minute to understand what she’s asking about.

“She saw us. In my garage. That night”

“Oh”. She doesn’t say anything else for a moment. Betty eventually looks up at him, shinning green eyes full of questions:

“But nothing happened Arch. We retreated before. You told me how much you loved her and how you couldn’t live without her”

Her voice is pleading like she’s trying to convince him and he can’t help but sigh heavily.

“I know Betts, but I guess she left before. I told her that but she...” He trails off.

“Is this why she never called and chose to ask Cheryl for help? Is this why she’s so… _distant_? Because she thinks something happened between us?”

“I guess” he whispers back. Betty’s voice is full of emotions and hurt and it’s getting harder for him as well. He doesn’t know what to tell her to comfort her. He too has noticed how Veronica was acting tenser around Betty but he didn’t have the time to think much of it until she stabbed him with that statuette.

“Is this why she left _us_ five years ago?”

Archie doesn’t answer and he doesn’t think Betty expects him to. His mouth is dry and his heart starts beating like crazy against his ribcage because he doesn’t want to believe it. There must be something else. He didn’t lose her because of one floating moment where he thought he could indulge himself in Betty’s familiarity to sooth the pain of his broken heart.

That can’t be it.

The Veronica he knows would have burst in and screamed at them all sort of scornful comments until his ears and neck would have matched the color of his hair with shame.

But she didn’t.

She left, disappeared in the night and came back five years after with a child - said child was still crying in the background.

“I am going to change before Luna notices the blood on my shirt” he mutters to a still frozen Betty. Her green eyes are welling up and he can’t bear to stand here and watch her cry too.

He’s not the only one who got hurt that night.

\---

“Does it happen frequently?” asks Mary Andrews, handing her a glass of water. It takes a moment for Veronica to comprehend the move before she takes the glass and mutters a quick thank you. She helps Luna drink without pouring water everywhere and looks up to Mrs. Andrews, sitting on the other side of the couch, staring at Luna on her lap.

She eventually managed to get Luna out of the dining table and stopped her crying but her little girl’s eyes are still full of tears and she has that sad face that breaks her heart. It cuts her breath to see her baby so scared and she feels _so_ guilty about it.

Once again, she failed her promise of shielding her daughter from everything bad in this world. Worst than allowing anything to upset her child, she caused it. She let her wrath overcome her instead of focusing on Luna. Archie always had this effect on her.

He’d make her lose control and drive her crazy in all sorts of way…

“Veronica?” calls Mrs. Andrews and it’s brings her back to reality.

“Sorry Mrs. Andrews, you were saying?” She apologizes, putting down the glass on the coffee table while carefully avoiding looking at the woman across the couch. 

It feels a little bit unsettling to be back in this living room, with Archie’s mother. She’s still unsure about how to act around her, especially when she doesn’t know if the red headed woman is mad at her for barging back in her son’s life with a four year old or for depriving her of her granddaughter?

Either one makes her ultimately guilty, but Mary Andrews doesn’t answer until she looks up at her.

“What happened earlier. Does it happen frequently?” She tightens her arms around Luna and raises a questioning eyebrow.

“I am obviously not referring to the quarrel between Archie and you” specifies the red headed woman with a steady glance that clearly means she’s still very unpleased with them.

Well, than that makes two of them!

“That moment when she couldn’t breathe…”

Mary trails off before looking down to her lap where Luna is sitting, arms around her waist and throwing curious glances before hiding her face against Veronica’s chest. Luna does it again and it makes Mrs. Andrews’s gaze softens before she looks back at her.

“Not really anymore” mutters back Veronica, not knowing why she feels so intimidated.

“Is it always that bad?”Veronica can sense the worry in Mrs. Andrews and it makes her heart swell. Even if Archie’s mother is certainly mad at her, at least she cares about Luna. 

“No. Usually, I am with her and I get to act before its get this worst”. Mrs. Andrews nods as if it’s everything she needed to know and Veronica mimics the gesture in a silent understanding. 

“I am sorry V” Betty’s faint voice startles her. She’s standing at the entrance of the room and Veronica was so caught up in trying to calm her daughter that she completely forgot about the two other persons in the room. Archie is nowhere to be seen but she doesn’t get to think much of it that the blonde girl in front of her continues:

“I am so sorry Veronica, for everything. For Luna, for that night…” Betty’s beautiful eyes are full of tears and her hands curled up in fists. It makes something tighten in her belly to think that Betty is still struggling with _that_ and even if they are still things she didn’t come in term with, Veronica doesn’t want to be the reason that triggers Betty’s old demons.

“That’s not on you, Betty” she cuts her “Like I told you, this is absolutely not your fault. You couldn’t know that she was sick and that crying would make her hyperventilate. I should have warned you and I should have put her medicine in her pocket.”

She purposefully lets out the part of Betty’s apology that involves what they did to her that night. She doesn’t want to make Betty feel bad about Luna’s crisis because it’s really isn’t her fault but that’s everything she can do right now.

“What does she have?” asks Archie’s voice behind Betty. She swallows and feels Luna’s arms around her tighten.

He’s back from wherever he was and he changed the T-shirt she stained with her blood. Speaking of what, he is holding the first aid kit she remembered using a couple years ago when he got in a fight with the Serpents.

He doesn’t seem angry anymore but rather nervous. _Hesitant_. Like he doesn’t know if she’s going to answer to him or allow him to get near. She understands it from how his hands twitches like they always do when he doesn’t know how to act. She knows him way to well and it’s both reassuring and painful.

“She has asthma” she breathes out. He nods like his mother did and his gaze is glued on Luna’s back. 

It hurts because she knows that he’s hurting because they scared Luna.

There is too much hurt and this shouldn’t be like that. At least not between him and Luna. She came for Luna to have her father that will protect her and love her and she’d be _damned_ if Archie and Luna have the same relationship she has with Hiram. And just because she couldn’t bite her tongue hard enough!

She motions him to gets closer and he sits on the couch between her and his mother.

“Can I?” he reaches for her injured hand, soft honey brown eyes waiting for her consent. She swallows and looks at Luna who still has her head buried in her embrace, incredibly silent but at least not crying anymore. Veronica perfectly knows her smart little girl and she knows that Luna got scared and even if she seems like she’s oblivious to what’s surrounding her, she’s absorbing every detail to see if it safe or not. It’s a punch to the gut.

She shouldn’t have put her child in this position after everything she’s been through during the last 24 hours. She should have protected her but once again, she failed.

Veronica also knows that Luna’s going to trust Archie according to how she, herself, is interacting with him so, even she’s still very much angry at him, she nods. She extends her arm, letting him take her hand and it would be lying to pretend like his gentle touch didn’t send shivers through her whole body.

“Betty, let’s bring you a glass of water too” says Mrs. Andrews, not being totally subtle about letting them alone.

During the next five minutes, Archie silently takes care of the wound, asking her at every occasion if he’s not hurting her. She tries not to wince at the pain when he pours alcohol because she doesn’t want to alert Luna. She sees Archie’s face contorts in a grimace almost as if he couldn’t stand seeing her in pain.

She brushes off the stupid thought out of her mind before she starts believing it.

She also notices how every now and then, Archie glances at Luna who does an exceptional job at not moving, and you’d think that she fell asleep if it wasn’t for her tiny fingers playing with the ends of Veronica’s hair.

“Give her some time” she murmurs at him and he nods before getting back at his task.

When Archie is almost done swathing her hand, she feels Luna’s arms loosening around her neck and the little girl slightly shifts in her lap. She looks up at her with her big honey eyes, her long eyelashes almost brushing her eyebrows. She doesn’t say anything and smiles softly at her daughter to give her the confidence to speak about what’s bothering her. It’s their particular way of communicating. 

After a moment of silent understanding, Luna finally babbles:

“I don’t like when you scream. I get scared”

Here they are. Even if Luna’s words are directed to her, Archie is looking at her panicked, a beautiful blush spreading on his cheeks. In any other circumstances, she’d find it endearing to see Archie like that. She turns back her attention to Luna and replies softly:

“We are _so, so,_ sorry, baby. Daddy and I promise we won’t scream at each other “

She looks at Archie and asks “Right?”

Archie instantly nods.

“Yes, of course. Never again”

That’s when Luna finally turns to look at Archie. She pouts before asking carefully:

“Promis?”

Archie makes a bewildered face and looks at her with wide eyes like he wants to confirm that he has correctly understood the request Luna made in French. Veronica quickly nods and Archie almost immediately blathers:

“Of course, I promise! I won’t scream at your mother, ever again!”

Veronica raises a skeptical eyebrow but Archie’s looking at Luna with pleading eyes and a big smile.

“You forgive me?”

She wants to burst laughing and cry at the same time because Archie is at the complete mercy of his little girl.

It makes it even harder not to laugh when Luna tilts her head to the side like she’s considering it and Archie is nervously waiting for her answer.

“Oui!” chirps Luna and Archie’s face breaks in the brightest smile she has ever seen (and it says something) before taking his daughter in his arms. She looks at them fondly and her cheeks hurt from smiling so wide.

“I see that the little one already has you wrapped around her tiny little finger”

Veronica looks up and Mrs. Andrews is standing by the couch with a huge smile on her face.

“I warned him that she was bossy and malicious” she says, leaning to pat Luna’s back. Archie chuckles and eventually releases his embrace on Luna who squirms to sit up between them, looking more cheerful than before.

It’s then her gaze meets Archie’s and she sees him respond to the stupid smile she still has plastered on her face. It’s like they are send back five years ago.

She’s back being just a girl and he’s a cute boy with broad shoulders, red hair and an infectious smile that makes her heart beat faster in her chest.

It’s almost like they were never torn apart and she never had her heart shattered in million pieces. They are in their happy, safe, bubble.

Then she remembers that it’s not real and it’s not where they stand on now.

They very much fell apart and she had her heart, among other parts of her body, broken in pieces.

More than ever, danger and fear are encompassing them.

The smile on her face disappears just as quickly and she flees Archie’s confused gaze when at the same moment Mrs. Andrews finds it right to precise:

“Betty left. She had that thing with the Jones.”

“Yes, FP is making his annual pre-labor day barbecue. Betty told us earlier that she had to be at _her in-laws_ “replies Archie, emphasizing the last word like he’s still trying to convince her that Betty is marrying Jughead, _not him._

It’s very clear that he’s saying the truth about this part and the fact that they didn’t kiss that night but that doesn’t mean nothing happened between the two of them. She still caught them red handed, he still said those things and…

What about the pictures Hiram showed her after she gave birth to Luna?

It’s these pictures that sealed their story, proving her that he didn’t care about her when she was just hoping to reunite with him and be a family.

“Is she feeling better?” questions Mary as she sits on the loveseat next to the couch.

Veronica shakes the dark thoughts away and exchanges a knowing smile with Luna before replying:

“It looks like it”

“You said she has asthma but what did trigger her crisis? What should we do to prevent it from happening?”

Veronica likes the way he says _we_ like they are finally in this together.

“There are several factors that provoke an asthma attack: allergies, pet hair, pollen, stress, fear, heat, altitude, a cold, overexertion, medication and even irritating fumes or strong odors. This time, I guess that Luna was panicked and crying a lot and her breathing went fast and irregular” she explains in one go to her very attentive audience. 

When she finishes, she catches Archie’s gaze drift between Luna and the empty basket in the corner of the room where Vegas is usually sprawled if not busy digging holes in the backyard.

“Luna is not allergic to dog hair. Don’t worry about it” she says before he gets to ask the question. Archie nods and nuzzles Luna to his side, dropping a kiss on her forehead.

“Asthma? Isn’t it genetic? I don’t know anybody who has it in my family” notes Mrs. Andrews.

“I am not sure about the Andrews side though…” trails off the red haired woman, lips pinched like she’s trying hard to remember.

Veronica swallows.

“It doesn’t always have to be genetic” She holds her breath for a moment because she knows that after that, she’ll have to answer other questions that are more difficult to discuss. She’d prefer not give any further explanation but she promised Archie she’d answer the questions related to his daughter and she understands that he’s suffering from the situation.

“In her case, it’s more of a sequel” she exhales.

“A sequel?” repeats Archie, face frowning. 

They are both looking at her expectantly, Veronica sighs and starts explaining, trying to ignore the node of guilt that makes her voice tremble.

“Because... Luna was born prematurely. She suffered from dysplasia bronco-pulmonary, a disease premature babies with underdeveloped lungs develop. Now that’s she’s almost 4 it’s getting better, but she’ll most probably have to live her whole life with asthma”

“She was born too early?” asks Archie in disbelief. 

“I thought you’ve already figured out. You said you found her birth certificate“ Veronica shrugs it off like it was common sense.

It’s true that Archie told Veronica he found Luna’s birth certificate and he perfectly remembers that his daughter was born:

“October 29th” he finishes out loud. He makes the calculus in his head. It was one, two, three, f-

“Four months and a half after I left” she finishes like she’s reading his mind and maybe she does because it’s scary how connected they still seem to be. 

“I was already 11 weeks pregnant” she specifies, swallowing the acidic taste in her mouth. “Luna was born a little more than two months before her due date but it doesn’t make her any less strong and smart. Isn’t it baby?” She smiles at the little girl before sitting her on her lap to redo her hair that was messed up because of all the events earlier.

Truly, it’s more about keeping her shaking hands busy than about fixing her little girl’s appearance.

It will never be easy to remember the days Luna was born. It was the most beautiful and painful days all at once. Luna spent weeks in the NICU and it was all her fault.

 _Only hers_ .

\----

“Three months!” reiterates his mother for the second time, like she doesn’t believe how it could have been possible. He is just as overwhelmed by the new piece of information and when he searches for Veronica’s gaze, she has her head down, seemingly concentrated in tying back Luna’s loose pigtails.

He doesn’t miss the way her lips quivers before she whispers, still not looking at them. 

“I still don’t know how I could have missed it”

The elastic band snaps against her fingers when she makes the final wrap and Luna blenches at the sound. For a moment Archie is distracted by the thought that Luna is still is so fearful as the day before, jumping at any sudden noise and he remembers how Cheryl said that she looked _“traumatized_ ”.

“I had all these symptoms but” Veronica stammers so softly that it’s sounds like she’s more speaking with herself than to them “I thought that it was just the stress of the whole situation at home and Archie’s fights”

Archie gulps loudly, remembering the last months of their senior year and how everything was just completely fucked up when they got caught in Hiram Lodge’s tentacles. Veronica might still not be willing to share the whole story but he’s sure of one thing: Hiram has a great deal of responsibility in all the things that went wrong.

His jaw tightens instinctively.

“And the worst thing is that I was doing all those reckless things…” trails off Veronica, gaze always fleeting and he understands that she feels guilty by the way her voice breaks and her arms tightens around Luna.

Alarmed by the tone of Veronica’s voice, Luna flips over and immediately puts her little hand on her mother’s cheek, tilting her head up.

“Are you sad Mami?” asks the little girl and it makes his heart swell in his chest because Luna sounds so serious and concerned, like she’s not just a toddler.

Veronica immediately shakes her head and smiles brightly at Luna:

“No. I am perfectly fine baby”

“You know it’s not just on you “he hears himself mutters “I should have noticed too”

Suddenly the last months with Ronnie unfold in his head and he searches for the indicators he missed.

Slowly, he remembers the little things he overlooked because just like her, he thought it was the effect of the mess Hiram Lodge trapped them in.

Veronica was always late to school because she would sleep in and when she was here, she would struggle to keep her eyes open until the last class. Archie thought that it was normal because he was also exhausted after spending a good part of the night fighting in Hiram Lodge’s illegal fight club with her cheering him on to victory and casting murderous glances at her father. 

Now he remembers that she had at least two absences just the last week and he was told through Kevin that she was sick. It always been a warm milkshake or an under-cooked burger that she had badly digested. He didn’t think much of it because he thought it was the constant pressure they were submitted to that would make her sick and over sensitive.

Because Ronnie was also emotional beyond expectations, jumping him on in the most unexpected places before pushing him away because of some tenderness on her breasts or because she wouldn’t feel it anymore.

Now he precisely remembers her mentioning that she switched birth control and that it was playing with her hormones. At that time, he didn’t question it because they had so much on their plates and it’s not like they had completely stopped doing it…

It’s so terrifying to realize how the brain works. It’s able to dig out the little things he didn’t pay attention to five years ago because he was _so damn stupid_.

He should have known. He could have done something. Maybe they still wouldn’t be together, maybe she would still have chosen her father and the business but, he would have had _a_ reason to fight. He would have seen _his_ daughter grow.

“Veronica, I don’t know what to say”

His mother’s eyes are shinny and her voice shaky. He could tell by the way Veronica’s eyebrows slightly arch that just like him, she doesn’t know what to expect. 

“I can’t begin to imagine how hard it has been” breathes out Mary Andrews.

“Beyond being a mother so young, it takes a lot of courage to hold on when your baby is sick. You must have been through very tough times…” She pauses and her lips press in a small lopsided-smile: “but you’ve always been so incredibly brave. A force to be reckoned”

Veronica’s eyes widen, but then she gets a soft smile on her face “Thank you”.

It’s then that it’s hits him. Until this moment, he thought he got the short end of the stick but he has _no idea_ what Veronica has been through. It must have been equally or certainly even harder for her. Just like she mentioned earlier, she spent nights, maybe weeks, if not months, in the hospital. She had been taking care of Luna and dealing with her illness for the past four years. He has no idea what’s it was like or even how her pregnancy went on but he was quick to overburden her.

_“I thought I could handle it on my own but, it got out of control. I just can’t do it anymore”_

It’s the words she used last night before fading in the night, and into the edge of a bridge.

It seems more than even that there is a bigger picture and he can’t help but feel apprehensive of what he’s going to find out.

Although, he needs to know and do something, beginning from beating the crap out of the person that dared to lay his bruising finger on Veronica.

“C’est qui la dame, Mommy?”

As is often the case when he’s unsure of what Luna is babbling in French, Archie searches Veronica’s gaze for a clue. Veronica ignores him and instead, she speaks directly to Luna, thumb tilting the little girl’s head up to exchange a soft, knowing, look.

“Listen baby, not everybody speaks French in the US and it’s not polite to speak in another language when other people in the room don’t understand“

Veronica is speaking slowly, making sure Luna understood well. Veronica’s method seems to work as the little girl’s eyes widen in surprise before she gets a determined look on her face and nods vivaciously.

“Now, will you try repeat your question in English so that Daddy understands?” Veronica asks, still so gentle and patient, then clarifies quickly to him “I’d rather make sure to always explain her everything”

He doesn’t have the time to be caught on Veronica’s motherhood skills that Luna is already turning back to him, she fidgets a little bit on Veronica’s lap before blurting out:

“Who’s the lady?” A shy glance towards his mother confirms him which _lady_ she’s talking about.

_“Oh”._

She’s not wrong. They should have started here. His mother seems just as taken aback and emotional as him, so he answers slowly, keeping eye contact with Luna just like Veronica did a couple seconds ago:

“Lulu, the lady you see here is my mother. That’s makes her your grandmother.”

Luna’s eyes widen and then she looks back at Veronica:

“Mommy, is it _Nana Mary_?”

Now, he’s genuinely astonished and the look on his mother’s face makes it clear that she also didn’t expect this coming. On the contrary, Veronica smiles softly at Luna and nods.

“Mommy told you about _Nana_ Mary?” He can’t help but asks, looking at Veronica in disbelief.

“Yes, Mommy said that Nana Mary and Papa Fred are Daddy’s mommy and daddy “says Luna, all solemnly like she’s repeating something she learned. “Right, Mummy?”

“Yes, baby” answers Veronica, then at him almost defiantly: “why do you look so surprised Archie? I told you I made sure Luna always knew about her father’s side of the family?”

“Yet, you didn’t find it necessary to make her _father’s side of the family_ aware of _her_ existence?” He fires back bitterly even if he’s sincerely struck down that Veronica told Luna so much about him and his family.

Maybe she doesn’t resent him as much as what she showed until then? Maybe she really wanted Luna to have a father and know about her family?

But then again, why didn’t she tell _him_ about Luna before? Was _he_ the one she wanted to punish?

Veronica ignores him and instead she murmurs something to Luna’s ear and the little girl nods concurrently. A quick look to his left informs him that his mother’s previous dazzled expression is replaced by a _something else_ that makes her eyes soften and shine with tears. Her gaze is glued on Luna, certainly taking in all her features and realizing that she is a ... _Nana_. Usually he would feel uncomfortable to see his mother so emotional but he perfectly understands how overwhelmed she’s feeling. 

“Mrs. Andrews, will you let Luna give you a hug?” asks Veronica, almost hesitantly.

“Is it a question to ask!” replies Mary, tears trickling on her face.

Archie thinks he might start crying again when he sees his mother hold Luna and hug her tightly. Eyes closed she’s taking heavy inspiration as if she’s soaking up Luna’s heavenly scent.

He takes a look at Veronica to his side. Head tilted, her eyes are shinny too and she’s wrapping her arms around her waist, a lingering smile on her lips.

God, she always looks so perfectly beautiful but even more with this pure smile on her face. He wants to kiss her again until he’d take their breaths away.

After a moment, Mary sniffs and pulls away to cup Luna’s face in her hands.

“You are undoubtedly the cutest little girl I have ever seen!” Coos Mary Andrews, completely smitten and Archie can’t help but approves with a frenetic nod that he knows makes him look dumb.

“She definitely is!”

Veronica chuckles at his excitement and he feels blood rush to his face at the same moment a beautiful blush appears on Luna’s chubby cheeks.

That’s another thing he’s learning about his daughter! She has inherited his unfortunate genes that betray his emotions so often. He doesn’t know why but it marvels him to the highest point.

“So you’re name is Luna, huh? That’s a beautiful name you chose Veronica!” says Mary while dropping a sonorous kiss on Luna’s cheek and before Veronica gets to open her mouth, the little girl corrects with her chirpy, high-pitched voice, raising her finger like she did this morning:

“Luna Virginia Lodge!”

Luna’s sudden outburst makes them all chuckle because it’s so out of the blue when just five seconds ago, the little girl was blushing and acting all shy and reserved. It’s even harder to keep a straight face when the she pouts, vexed, and runs back to Veronica’s lap, not appreciating being laughed at.

“She’s something else…” let’s outs his mother in a breathless snigger and he wants to come with his own comment, but when his gaze falls on Veronica whatever he had to say gets stuck in his throat. She’s giggling with her whole body while holding Luna close to her chest. Her eyes are closed and her head leaned back, raven hair sprawled on the cushion. She looks so much younger and carefree, like the beautiful girl he met at Pop’s many years ago and not the broken woman he held against his chest on the bridge last night. 

When she stops giggling, her eyes open and her lips break to a blinding smile.

“I love you so much, mi amore” she purrs before covering Luna’s face with kisses and the little girl chuckles at the motion. Archie’s cheek warms up when he remembers that she also used to call him the Spanish pet name when it would be just the two of them, on a bed, clothes off, and….

He wants to capture this moment forever in his mind for the times he needs to be reminded that life is beautiful, especially when it’s named Veronica. And Luna.

“Virginia? I think I’ve heard this somewhere” snorts his mother before asking more seriously

“Was it your way to let Archie have a say in the choice of _his_ daughter’s name?” and Veronica’s wide smile instantly disappears. 

Archie realizes he’s been holding his breath the entire time when he figures out he needs to say something. He’d rather have Veronica answer this question when it will be just the two of them, so he blurts out to ease the building tension:

“Actually, back in high school, we both agreed that if we had a daughter one day we’ll name her Luna!”

Maybe it’s not the right thing to say because his mother looks even more dubitative and a small crease appears between her eyebrows.

“Veronica, I am not trying to reproach you anything because I don’t know what happened five years ago, but given the situation” she waves her hand towards Luna who’s looking at the adults curiously, certainly wondering how the atmosphere turned so thick when they were teasing her a couple seconds ago.

When she speaks again, his mother’s voice is softer, almost pleading:

“I _have_ to ask you, Veronica. Why did you leave without a goodbye? Why come back only now?”

The red-headed woman shakes her hand in confusion.

“I mean, we could have been a family, we could have been together when you needed support with Luna” His mother’s voice breaks from the emotion and for a second, Archie thinks that Veronica might give them the answers he had been desperately demanding.

His expectations flatten as soon as he catches the blank expression on Veronica’s face. She pinches her lips like she’s considering saying something before her gaze is on Luna. 

“Baby, why don’t you look for your toys in my bag? You’ll find the glittery slime you love so much“ She points out the hallway where the leather bag is still laying on the ground and as soon as Veronica mentions the slime, Luna hops from her mother’s lap and rushes to the bag.

When Luna is busy digging in the bag, Veronica finally speaks, looking past him and straight into his mother’s eyes:

“I don’t know if Archie told you that I asked you to be here because I need your help as a lawyer.”

She pauses and his heart misses a beat at the thought that she might have got herself into _those kinds_ of serious problems that require a lawyer. Does it have something to do with the marks on her…But then:

“I came back because Luna needs her father. I want Archie to recognize her and have parental authority as soon as possible”

Veronica glances nervously at Luna whose spreading pink glittery on the hallway floor, before murmuring in a breath “before Hiram Lodge knows that I brought her to Riverdale and decides to take her away“

Point blank.

His jaw clenches automatically because he remembers she told him the same thing when they were arguing earlier in the kitchen and he’s about to fucking lose it.

“Will you help me?”

“Help _us_?” He coldly rectifies. She is no longer alone in that boat and he’s most definitely not going to let Hiram Lodge’s tentacles near his daughter.

When will the man finally stop?

Apparently, he succeeded in breaking them up five years ago and now, Hiram must have done something very serious to scare Veronica _to this extent_.

Because he’s not that dumb, if Hiram didn’t threat the shit out of Veronica, she wouldn’t ask for help, let alone the mother of the boyfriend she remorselessly let behind her.

From what he’s hearing, Hiram didn’t stop being so obsessively controlling of Veronica, and now, maybe Luna too, _his_ daughter.

At first, his mother seemed as flabbergasted as him, but then all traces of the initial shock is replaced by a stern expression:

“Of course, I’ll help you. If it’s your child, that’s my grandchild”

Veronica nods and exhales like she had been holding her breath all along.

“Thank you, Mrs. Andrews” she murmurs.

“Mary. I’ve already told you one hundred times before that you don’t need to call me Mrs. Andrews, I am not your boss” reprimands his mother playfully, even if the tension resulting from Veronica’s confession is still there.

“I am getting water” he mumbles before jumping on his feet. He has to do something with his muscles because every nerve of his brain is telling him to get to Hiram Lodge and break his jaw with his knuckle for threatening to take his daughter from him when he just reunited with her.

“How could your father take her from you? Don’t… don’t you have parental authority?”

He hears his mother wonder when he crosses the door of the living room and it almost gets him to stop on his track.

He thought about it the second she first expressed her fears about her father’s shenanigans but she didn’t answer when he confronted her about it.

He’s bending to drop a kiss on Luna’s forehead on his way to the kitchen, when Veronica simply replies, softly:

“I don’t”

“How comes?” exclaims his mother, taken aback.

It’s pointless to wait for a truthful answer because Veronica seems to always slide around the pot then getting straight to the point. He won’t try to ask her about it because he learnt her favorite get-out replica: “ _It’s none of your business”_. At least, he won’t ask her right now.

“When Luna was born I was a minor in a foreign country “

He throws her an inquisitive glance but she’s not looking at his direction and she’s already asking:

“So Mary, how does the procedure works?”

He doesn’t miss the way his mother frowns, definitely not convinced by Veronica’s poor explanation but she, too, seems to understand she won’t get more out of it and starts explaining what they are supposed to do.

He’ll definitely need a large glass of water.

\----

Ten minutes later, Luna moved her arts and craft workshop in the living room, abandoning the slime to scribble on a piece of paper she asked for earlier. She no longer seems afraid of Vegas whose sitting incredibly calm by her side, like he’s watching her and it makes Archie smiles every time she stops to ask the dog if her “dessin” is beautiful. It seems enough of an answer for her when Vegas nudges her hand as she carefully pats him back between the ears, the both of them still trying to figure out how to act around each other.

As of for Archie, he’s sitting around the dining table with Veronica and his mother, discussing the legal steps they’ll have to take as soon as the offices reopen. Honestly, Mary is making most of the talk, explaining them the whole process.

“We are lucky that they don’t ask for the blood and genetic tests prior to the declaration of paternity, otherwise, it would take weeks” sighs Mrs. Andrews.

“Now, what we have to do is that, _you_ ” She points out to him “complete and sign the Declaration of Paternity I just printed. “ She says, placing the paper in front of him.

“It will have the same effect as a court order establishing paternity for the child. Then we’ll have to head to the Department of Child Support Service to pay a fee to amend the birth certificate” she finishes.

He’s already going through the form when Veronica cuts in, alarmed:

“Tomorrow is Sunday, the offices are closed and Monday is Labor’s day. How are we going to do it before Tuesday?”

Apparently, during their phone call earlier, Hermosa confirmed that Hiram and Hermione were supposed to get back from their impromptu trip on Tuesday and, therefore, notice that Veronica and Luna took off. Veronica is incredibly nervous but his mother tries to reassures her by assuring that she knows people working at Riverdale’s Department of Child Support Services that will help legally establish Archie’s paternity in front of the court despite the holiday.

“We could also ask Betty, or Jughead and even Charles” he hastily adds after a brief glance at Veronica. He doesn’t want to stiffen the atmosphere again with remembering what happened earlier when their- whose now apparently, only _his_ – best friend was here.

“They worked with that woman from Social Services and they have good relations in the court. They could get us a meeting for Monday”

“Yeah, good idea Arch” notes his mother. “I think I’ll also give a call to Sierra, she knows people who know people” she adds, clearly implying that ex-Mayor McCoy, now Mrs. Keller, had _her_ ways of exercising law. 

He exchanges a glance towards Veronica who’s watching his mother already calling Josie’s mom. He can tell that she’s still very nervous, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth and absorbing every word of the conversation. 

He puts his large hand on top of her smaller one and it seems to startle her because she drops the pen she was holding and turns back to face him. Her beautiful eyes are wide but she doesn’t remove her hand who feels warm and soft in his. It makes him feel of type of way, like he’s in first grade and holding the school’s most beautiful girl hand in his for the first time. He knows for a fact that _she_ was the most beautiful girl of _his_ school.

“Don’t worry, we’ll make everything to insure that your father doesn’t get to her” He assures confidently then more hesitantly “Or to you. If it’s what you really want”.

He sees her swallow and her gaze drops to the floor, long and dark eyelashes brushing her cheeks, before she looks at him and mutters softly.

“That’s absolutely what I want. I don’t want him anywhere near us” then she confesses:

“I just don’t want to get anybody in trouble”

“Listen Ronnie, nobody is going to be in trouble “ he assures, even though he absolutely doesn’t know what sort of battle they are getting themselves to, against Hiram Lodge, and it’s mostly because she doesn’t want to say more, but he feels that’s what he needs to do right now. He needs to reassure her.

“I am going to sign to complete this form and sign the birth certificate. Monday, we’ll go together to the Department of Child Support Services to make sure that it’s all taking care of”

She simply nods as he’s offering her a little smile but after a moment, she takes her hand from his and its feel instantly cold. She turns back and bends to pick up the pen and through his mother’s voice on the phone, he almost doesn’t hear her when she says:

“Thank you, Archie. But, just know that” She puts back the pen in front of him and deadpans, dark orbs freezing him on the spot:

“You could still ask for the blood test later”

Before he opens his mouth his mother interrupts him, after apparently having resumed her call with Mrs. Keller:

“Kids, great news! Sierra will get us an audience with the judge who sits during vacation benches!”

“That’s perfect” instantly replies Veronica with a polite smile and just like that he swallows whatever he had to say. He nods to his mother appreciatively and starts completing the form.

\---

Archie tries his hardest to pay attention to the legal stuff his mother keeps explaining but he can’t help but steal glances at Veronica and Luna. 

The former does an exceptional job at ignoring him, drinking his mother’s guidance while the little girl looks just as concentrated in her drawing. She sometime peaks up to shoot him a shy smile that remembers him of the one Veronica used to give him.

It’s been a day since he met her and he already doesn’t know how to work with it. The little girl is sometimes shy and reserved and other times she throws herself in his arms and calls him Daddy with her chirpy little voice. In so many aspects, Luna is just like Veronica, but he tries to keep in mind that it’s perfectly normal and understandable. Luna is a three years old that doesn’t know how to act with that man she was apparently told so much about but met only a day before. Archie knows that his latest fight with Veronica, in front of the child, didn’t help.

He doesn’t know himself how to act. A part of him is still in awe at the fact that the cute little red headed girl across the room is half him and half the most beautiful, smart and incredible woman in the world. The other part of him is just freaked out of screwing up everything like he usually does and he’s terrified by the possibility of losing _both_ of them.

Finally, another part of him just wants to join his daughter, stroke her orange curls, play with her, listen to her babbling, hold her close and learn everything about her. About everything he missed.

Once again, the little girl looks up and shoots him a smile and he’s done debating whether he should join her or listen to the same boring legal stuff he doesn’t understand a single word of. 

He bolts out of his seat, knocking the table with his knees and the two women look up to him quizzically, questioning his carelessness.

“I’ve done my part.” He says handing back the papers he was given earlier. Veronica raises an impressed eyebrow and before she makes a scathing remark about his lack of involvement, he explains:

“I think we all know that I suck at these things. I’ll do anything you ask me but _you_ are both _incredible_ at handling all this“. He motions the papers scattered on the table “I know you had it all covered Mom”

He drops a kiss on his mother’s head and heads to the living room.

“Lulu, can I see your drawing? It’s beautiful!”

\----

It’s almost 5pm when they’re done going through the whole procedure and Luna, perched on Archie’s shoulders came to ask for food because she was hungry. Veronica will most definitely have to fix Luna’s whole food and sleep routine after the last crazy week they had but she is so _delighted_ to see both of them look so accomplice.

It’s not really surprising considering that Archie is basically himself a big child, all blinding smile, cheerful eyes and silly laugh that resonates in the whole house. He is chasing the little girl around the living room and Vegas is barking at them, following Archie closely. 

Her heart is so full and she’s endeared with the two red headed that she doesn’t have it in her to tell them to slow down before one of them gets hurt.

When Archie catches Luna, he wraps her in a hug that makes her squeal and giggle.

God, it’s _so_ good to hear her laugh.

“Enough Luna, you killed me! I am going to make us egg sandwiches!” lets out Archie in a breathless chuckle as he finally releases Luna from his embrace.

“I never thought I’d hear you say that one day!” exclaims Mary Andrews “Nothing but a kid to wash you out!”

“You said it” agrees Veronica instantly. Kids definitely drain you but there is nothing better to brighten her day than playing and spending time with Luna.

“I am going to have my turn with my precious grandchild!” announces Mrs. Andrews with a wide grin that makes Veronica smile at her excitement.

She soon finds herself alone in the kitchen with Archie. He’s breaking eggs in a bowl, turning his back to her, and she’s collecting the papers sprawled on the table. They work in silent and she finds herself wondering if she was wrong to have provoked him earlier about the whole DNA test. She knows she is being unnecessary mean when he clearly regretted doubting her at the moment the words escaped his mouth, but she just can’t help it.

The fact he thought, even for a second, that she was lying awakened painful memories. And then, after that, she is seeing how he’s trying his best to get a hold of his emotions regarding Luna. He already loves her so much and it’s obvious by the way his eyes lights up when she speaks, smiles, calls him Daddy or just breaths in front of him. It’s obvious by the way his face contorted in pain as he was physically suffering when Luna had her asthma crisis and when she was crying. She knows way too well this kind of pain that equals no other. You'd rather be swallowing fire than seeing your child in pain. 

He’s already caring and loving. He’s already a parent. Luna’s father. Her little girl’s Daddy.

It makes it even harder to be mad when he’s being like that, when he’s trying to be reassuring. It’s dangerous how she can easily slip back in his familiar comfort, the warmth of his eyes…

And this kiss they shared… It was just too…

_Stop!_

She spent the last five years stitching up herself and it’s not to flinch at the slightest thing, stupid, unfaithful, reckless, crazy… gorgeous… Archie Andrews does.

“You know that your story about being a minor when Luna was born and not having parental authority doesn’t add up, right?” he says as he takes the paper towel in front of her and it startles her. 

Her whole body tenses up as she tries to wipe out her surprise, deadpanning: 

“Here we go again”

“You are hiding things and I need answers” he simply replies, putting the sandwiches in a plate in front of her and looking at her straight in the eyes.

“What if you don’t have your answers? Will you start screaming again?” she fires back defiantly.

“Then answer. Besides, we promised Luna we won’t scream at each other”

“What if you don’t like the answer?”

He shrugs and leans closer over the table, their face only few inches away.

“You could always try”

“I don’t want to. It’s none of your business” she says with a smirk that is more provocative that she aimed to.

“Veronica” he warns, losing his calm. 

“What?” she snaps, then softly not to alarm Luna “what do you want to know?”

He pauses and looks taken aback like he didn’t expect her to really give in.

“What did you mean by “Hiram could take her”? How could he take her from you if you don’t want to?”

“Are you trying to say that once again it’s my fault and that I would willingly let my daughter in Hiram Lodge’s hands?” she scoffs.

“No!” then slower “ _This_ is not what I am trying to say and you know it. I just don’t understand how he could have the power to take her from you, you’re her mother”

“Because he is Hiram Lodge, Archie! Did you forget how he is? He is a criminal!” She exclaims, losing patience “It’s the same person who trapped you into doing his biding and god knows what else”

“Veronica” he hisses under his breath. “You’re still not getting to the point. What’s happening? Why don’t you trust me? It’s not like I would put my daughter’s…”

“Trust!” she interrupts him in a sneer and then her eyes narrow at him “Maybe I don’t trust you because I don’t know what to expect from you”

His eyes widen in bewilderment and he doesn’t reply immediately.

“I am trying to be civil like you asked me to and I am doing my best to keep the promise we made our daughter but you’re wearing out my patience, _Veronica_ ”

“And that’s exactly what I am talking about, _Archie_ “She answers back, waving at the space between them.

“What’s your point?” he asks, genuinely confused.

“My point is that I don’t know what I can tell you or not because you are unpredictable” she spits out.

“You could get out and do stupid things that will get you killed or imprisoned!“ she confesses and when his eyes widen in disbelief, she knows she said too much so she continues :

“Or maybe you’ll just start being an asshole again just like that one time you accused me of trapping you into fathering my daughter, then apologized **or** when you didn’t trust me when Luna had her asthma attack then said I was amazing “.

He doesn’t answer so she pursues:

“You stopped me and then you threw it on my face in front of our daughter! You didn’t believe me five years ago and then you say you missed me!”

She takes her breath before finally resuming, eyes roaming on his face like she’s searching the answer of a question in his stunned expression:

“So excuse me Archie but I have all the reasons not to know what to think. I don’t know if I am going to tell you something and you’ll just act off board without thinking of the consequences until it’s too late to do something about it.”

He doesn’t answer immediately, lost in the depth of her dark pupils.

“I won’t” He assures poker-faced.

“Prove it” She hisses, face almost touching his above the table.

“It’s not like you’re any better, Veronica” he pauses “You shoved a statuette at me then you kissed me”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> So first of all just know that if there is mistakes and the notes sounds racy it's because it's past midnight in Paris and I am exhausted! I just wanted to update as a lot of you have been spamming me with messages about the new chapter. 
> 
> Veronica and Archie's relationship is COMPLICATED! They don't know where to stand on! They fight then get soft then fight again because there is too much unresolved feelings between them. It doesn't help that Veronica keeps so much things for herself but she'll slowly start opening up on next chapter and I am so excited to write her interaction with another character we rarely see her with in canon!  
> Our favorite babies are confused and if you wanted them to be all lovey mushy mushy then you didn't read the tags! It's Slow-Burn! and it's honestly would have been so strange to have them rekindle after a single kiss and with so much secrets between them, so sorry but you'll have to wait....
> 
> There was supposed to be a whole other part to this chapter which would have made it even more massive but I suppose that once again, you'll have to wait for Chapter 13. 
> 
> This chapter is more of a fill-in and that explains why it has been so hard for me to write it. I kinda reached the events I envisioned when I had the idea of this fiction so it was hard to move on from that.  
> I feel like the voice of the story changed and I still don't know if I want to make it a short fiction or a longer one. Feel free to give me your suggestion on that matter! 
> 
> I read a lot of Varchie fanfictions during this past month and I think I've officially drained the stock of Varchie fictions out there in the internet. That's a good thing that season 5 is beginning soon and will certainly inspire the writers among us! I would forever be grateful for the amazing Varchie queens that blessed use with their contents to read and re-read! I am talking about: tuesdayschildd, monicaposh, andsmile, theeternalblue , kaatiekinss, softvxrchie and so many more!  
> I'll certainly update this section with my recommendations later (as well as making the correction on the chapter).  
> UPDATE: I am back with some recommendations
> 
> \- "Encore" by RonniesArchiekins. It's an AU where Varchie split up when Archie decided to follow his music carrer. Veronica is no longer a princess and she's in a very bad relationship until she decides to cut looses and throw herself in the unknown. I honestly can't wait for the next update. It's very promising and it kinda gives me the vibe of one of andsmile's best work: "Leave the light on" (I am obsessed with the story and I always find myself listening to 11:11 )  
> \- "Meant to be" by IownTheNight ; the writing is not exceptional and sometimes you'll have trouble following the events but there is some great ideas in it and it's very original. The characters's personalities are very different from what we are used to and I'd love to see where the story goes.  
> \- "tell me more" by lostinlodge. I love the idea and I have myself thought of doing a fiction where V and Archie are forced to put a fake engagement. I can't wait to see where it goes.  
> \- "V I A J E" by camilascheryl. This is so sweet and cute for a beginning but I think the author has dropped the fiction since it hasn't been updated for over a year now.  
> \- "through a glass darkly" by flwrpotts. It's a bit more dark and mysterious just how I like it. You'll have angsty relationship and here the cheaters are not the same as in canon.  
> \- "Watch it Burn Down" by weheartscorose. It's almost over and what do I have to tell? It's angsty, sad, nerve racking and touching at the same time. Archie is basically what he is a canon: indecisive, helpless and completely infatuated by Ronnie. For those who like the bromance between Jarchie, you definitely should read this fiction! 
> 
> well, that's it for the fictions!
> 
> Instagram accounts:  
> \- riverdalepatriots  
> -varchie.aus  
> -bettysnews
> 
> I hope you still liked this chapter and you're not too upset with me but my life is a Roller-coaster these days. I'll still try to be more regular! 
> 
> Please don't forget to drop a comment to tell me what you think of my fiction, it really encourages me to write!


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